Page 24 - 2024 Olympics

Paris Olympics nears gender parity, a glance at athlete gender breakdown

The founder of the modern Olympics and former IOC president, Pierre de Coubertin, once said women competing in the Games would be "impractical, uninteresting, unaesthetic and improper." Over a century later, the 2024 Paris Olympic Games are targeting gender parity in the same city where women made their Olympic debut in 1900. The IOC set a goal of a 50-50 split among the more than 11,000 men and women, including backups, registered to compete from July 26 to Aug. 11. However, the latest numbers from the IOC suggest organizers might fall just short of that target. Slightly more medal events for men than women. There is still a slight edge toward men among the 329 medal events at the Paris Olympics. The IOC has said there are 157 men's events, 152 women's events and 20 mixed-gender events. Of the 32 sports, 28 are "fully gender equal," the IOC said, including the new event of breaking to music. Rhythmic gymnastics is still for women only but men are allowed to compete in artistic ...

Two Rio Olympics weightlifters return adverse results from 2016 samples

Weightlifters Mohamed Mahmoud of Egypt and Alexandr Spac of Moldova have returned adverse analytical findings from retests of samples from the 2016 Rio Olympics, according to the International Testing Agency. The ITA announced Wednesday that Mahmoud, the bronze medalist in the men's 77kg division, and Spac, who finished fifth, each tested positive for a non-specified banned substance from the World Anti-Doping Agency prohibited list. They have the right to request a B-sample analysis. If a B-sample analysis is not requested, it is considered a doping violation. Neither Mahmoud nor Spac, who also failed a drug test at the 2017 European weightlifting championships, will compete at the upcoming Paris Olympics. The gold medalist from that division while setting a world record, Nijat Rahimov of Kazakhstan was already disqualified for doping two years ago. Eight years ago, Mahmoud questioned Rahimov, saying at the time, "Maybe after some doping controls, some things will change." Doping

Paris 2024: Bopanna, Balaji begin Olympic preparation with a tough loss

Getting ready to represent India at the Paris Olympics, veteran Rohan Bopanna and N Sriram Balaji began their partnership with a tough loss in the opening round of the Hamburg Open on Thursday. Bopanna and Balaji have never played together on the ATP Tour before. The sixth-seeded Indian team lost 1-6 4-6 to unseeded German team of Jakob Schnaitter and Mark Wallner in the ATP 500 tournament. Surprisingly, the Indians, who are very solid servers, did not win many points on first serves. They dropped their serve thrice in the match and could not convert any of the three break point chances that they got. Now Bopanna and Balaji have one more tournament to compete together before the Olympics. They will head to Umaag to play Croatia Open, which is an ATP 250 event. Meanwhile, India's No.1 singles player Sumit Nagal lost his pre quarter-final match at the Nordea Open in Bastad 4-6 2-6 to fourth seeded Argentine Mariano Navone. Had Nagal won this round, he could have had a possible fac

Paris Olympics: Google brings AI to US broadcast for commentators to use it

Google's AI overviews provide written responses to search queries without the need to click a website link

Paris Olympics 2024: Football full schedule, live time (IST), streaming

From Football history to final and semifinal dates: Find everything to know about the Football event in the Paris Olympics 2024 here

Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray likely to bid adieu to tennis at Olympics 2024

When he first discussed the likelihood that 2024 would be his final season as a professional tennis player, Rafael Nadal made sure to refer to the Paris Olympics as one of the important competitions I would like to be at. If, indeed, this is his last hurrah, and if, indeed, he does make it to the Summer Games a little more than a year after hip surgery neither of which is an absolute certainty it would be fitting that the site of the French Open is also the site of this goodbye. No event, at least in this sport, defines an athlete's legacy the way the clay-court Grand Slam tournament does for Nadal. And, the opposite is true, too, which is why there is a statue of the 38-year-old Spaniard at Roland Garros, the site of a record 14 of his 22 major trophies and where the Olympic tennis matches begin on July 27. Rafael Nadal skipped Wimbledon before the Olympics Nadal skipped Wimbledon to avoid going from clay to grass and back to clay at the Paris Games, where he has been planning t

Olympics 2024: Jyothi Yarraji becomes 1st Indian to compete in 100m hurdle

When Jyothi Yarraji leaps past each hurdle in her bid to reach the finish line, it feels like she is trying to put behind all the struggles that her mother Kumari underwent while working in double shifts as a domestic help and a cleaner at a local hospital in Visakhapatnam. It is her gutsy mother's positive mindset while struggling for sustenance that Yarraji would like to carry when she gets on the starting blocks of her 100m hurdles heats during the Paris Olympics. Yarraji will become the first Indian to compete in the Olympics 100m hurdle as she made it to the Paris Games through the world ranking quota. "In the past, I did too much thinking, too much worried because of my family, my personal life and my background but I learnt a lot," Yarraji said in a virtual media interaction facilitated by Reliance Foundation. "My situation is really bad sometimes. My mom always told me to just keep going forward because we can't stop the present, past and the future. "She told me 'You work

Shot putter Abha Khatua and curious case of missing Olympic aspirant

Shot putter Abha Khatua had decided to pursue her Olympic dream despite a family tragedy recently but the national record-holder is missing from India's Paris-bound contingent and as of now, there is no clear answer as to why her name has been knocked off the list. Khatua left the country for Spala in Turkiye, the base for India's Olympic-bound athletics contingent, on July 11 along with her other team-mates. But the very next day, she was not there in the list of track and field Olympic participants published by World Athletics. The 29-year-old, who made the Paris Games cut through the world rankings quota, eventually did not figure in the Indian contingent of 117 approved by the sports ministry. The track and field team now has 29 members, instead of the 30 who were announced by the Athletics Federation of India. There is no word yet on whether her name has been dropped owing to injury, a doping violation or any other technical issue. Repeated attempts to reach her have been ...

Denmark's badminton player Christiansen withdraws from Paris Olympics

Denmark mixed doubles badminton player Mathias Christiansen has withdrawn from the Paris Olympics, a decision his national federation on Wednesday called the result of multiple unintentional errors made in reporting his whereabouts in line with anti-doping regulations. The Badminton World Federation confirmed Christiansen's absence from the field and the removal of his team with partner Alexandra Boje from the mixed doubles draw. Badminton Denmark said Christiansen made three mistakes on his whereabouts, as athletes are required to report where they are staying for the next three months. Three warnings over a year can lead to a case with Anti-Doping Denmark regarding a violation and a possible quarantine. Christiansen, 30, said in a statement released by Badminton Denmark that he was devastated by his lack of care leading to this result, adding he did not want to be a distraction. Jens Meibom, the organization's head of sport, said he was convinced it was simply a mistake and there

With no men picked for Olympics in artistic swimming, Minisini ends career

With no men picked to compete in artistic swimming at the Paris Olympics, where they are eligible for the first time, a former world champion is ending his career this week. At the Italian national championships, four-time worlds gold medalist Giorgio Minisini said he is competing for the last time at age 28. Obsession is a young man's game, Minisini, who was left off the Italian Olympic team in April, wrote on his Instagram account Tuesday. Minisini and Bill May of the United States were the two most likely Olympic pioneers aiming to be picked for Paris as the first men to compete in artistic swimming. The sport debuted at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics as synchronized swimming. However, the 96 athletes picked by 18 different nations for the Olympics were all women. World Aquatics is very disappointed that no male artistic swimmers have been selected for Paris 2024, the governing body said. This should have been a landmark moment for the sport. The rules change by World Aquatics

Ellen van Dijk to race Olympic time trial 6 weeks after fracturing ankle

Three-time world time trial champion Ellen van Dijk of the Netherlands will compete in the race against the clock at the Paris Olympics, six weeks after fracturing her ankle during a training camp in Spain and requiring surgery. The Dutch Cycling Federation announced Wednesday that van Dijk would be ready for the Summer Games in just over a week, the culmination of a remarkable recovery that began with van Dijk riding in a cast. It sets up a potential showdown on the streets of Paris between her and Chloe Dygert, the reigning world time trial champion from the United States. From the moment I fell, I knew what I had to do: prepare myself for the Games," van Dijk said in a news release. "I am really looking forward to joining the team and showing something beautiful together in Paris. The Netherlands tied with Britain atop the medal table in cycling at the Tokyo Olympics, winning five golds and 12 medals in total. That included gold for Annemiek van Vleuten and bronze for Anna van de

Paris Olympics 2024: French troops secure River Seine for opening ceremony

French soldiers and police are being deployed both in and along the River Seine to make it safe during the grandiose opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, when thousands of athletes will sail down the river at sunset toward the Eiffel Tower. The unprecedented decision to use a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) stretch of the Seine as a spectacular stage for the July 26 ceremony in front of a 320,000-strong crowd has created a huge challenge for security services, who will need to ensure the safety of Olympians and spectators alike. French authorities said 45,000 police officers and gendarmes are being deployed for the occasion, as well as 10,000 soldiers of the so-called Sentinelle military operation. A specially-created battalion has been tasked to secure the embarkation zone for athletes located along Paris' eastern portion of the river. The battalion's mission includes the full protection of the area, the boats and the attendees, in close coordination with other security forces. This ...

Paris Olympics 2024 full schedule, Games list, timings, live streaming

The matches during the Paris Olympics will start as early as 11:30 AM IST and conclude by 2:30 AM IST.

CAPF & special forces canine squad in France for Olympics venue security

Ten specially-trained Indian CAPF and special commando force dogs are in France to provide a counter-terrorist and anti-sabotage security cover to various venues of the Paris Olympics slated to open next week, official sources said on Wednesday. The ten Indian K9 (canine) teams will undertake sniffing and patrolling duties at various venues that will hold events for the Paris Olympics. They have been given a special 10-week training for this first-ever kind of collaboration of canine squads between the Indian and the French government, a security officer told PTI. The teams along with their handlers are drawn from the central armed police forces (CAPFs) like the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) force apart from the elite federal contingency commando force National Security Guard (NSG) and the Assam Rifles. The dogs are from the sturdy Belgian Malinois breed which undertake infantry patrol and anti-sabotage sniffer task

Olympics 2024: IOA releases list of 117 athletes, 140 support staff

India will be represented by 117 athletes at this month's Paris Olympics after the sports ministry cleared the final contingent that also features 140 support staff and officials, of which 72 "have been approved at cost to the Government" to meet the "requirements" of the travelling sportspersons. The only qualified athlete missing from the list is shot putter Abha Khatua. Khatua, who qualified through world rankings quota, has been dropped without any explanation after her name was found missing from the World Athletics' list of Olympic participants a few days ago. "The permissible limit for stay of support personnel in the Games Village against accreditation as per norms of the Paris Organising Committee for the 2024 Olympic Games is 67 including 11 1OA Contingent Officials, which includes five Medical Team Members," stated a letter from the ministry to the Indian Olympic Association President P T Usha. "For catering to the requirements of the athletes, additional coaches and oth

Paris 2024: Can Indian wrestlers deliver or medal winning legacy under risk

Indian wrestlers have delivered a medal every single time at the Olympics since the 2008 Beijing edition. Success in four consecutive editions has enhanced the status of wrestling as a prime Olympic sport in the country. There was success at junior level too. The sport also produced U23 world champions. It raised hopes of big success in Paris. It was Sushil Kumar who changed the way wrestling was perceived in the country by winning a bronze in 2008. He bettered his medal four years later in the London Games, where he fetched a silver. While Yogeshwar Dutt also won a bronze in the British capital. Sakshi Malik carried forward the trend by bagging a bronze in Rio in 2016 and Ravi Dahiya and Bajrang Punia made it a double delight in the delayed Tokyo Games (2021). However, the sport which was soaring high and was expected to reach even greater heights, was brought down to earth by the prolonged protests against then Wrestling Federation of India chief by the country's elite ...

Tennis players return to the red clay of Paris after Wimbledon's grass

The competition surface doesn't change for most Olympic sports. A pool's a pool. A track's a track. A wrestling mat's a mat. And so on. Tennis? That's a whole other story, with tournaments contested on clay, hard or grass courts and now there's a shift for the Paris Games. For the first time in more than 30 years, the tennis competition at an Olympics will be held on red clay, which means players who recently made the adjustment from the dirt at the French Open in early June to grass at Wimbledon in early July will need to reverse course again in short order. The terre battue at Roland Garros used for the French Open hosts Olympic matches starting on July 27 two weeks after Wimbledon wrapped up with singles titles for Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic and Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and the transition back to that site is more concerning to some athletes than others. That'll definitely be interesting. But everyone's kind of doing it. We'll all be in the same boat, said Jessica

Olympics-bound javelin thrower Jena says nearly quit sports last year

Asian Games silver medallist javelin thrower Kishore Jena says he was on verge of quitting the sport in 2023 after a string of poor performances but he heeded to his father's advice, leading to a revival of his career. Jena admitted that Neeraj Chopra's Tokyo Olympics gold medal motivated him to achieve more in his sport but he found it difficult to get the big throws and thought of quitting the sport in July last year just before the World Championships. "When Neeraj won at the Olympics, we celebrated and enjoyed his victory. But honestly, the victory also left me dejected because I too was playing the same sport. I felt it was time for me to achieve something in sports," Jena said. "I participated in Lebanon National Championships after a dip in my rankings and produced a throw of 78m. Despite giving it my all, I couldn't achieve much. I started doubting if all the hard work was worth it. I called my father, who encouraged me to participate in next competition in Sri Lanka," he sa

Shooter Moudgil secures Olympic birth by overcoming last year's negativity

Overcoming mental demons after being left out of the Indian team from last year's Asian Games and the World Championships was key to shooter Anjum Moudgil securing a Paris Olympic berth. Former world no.1 Moudgil, a world championships and Commonwealth Games medallist, competed in two events during the last edition in Tokyo. She finished 15th in the 50m rifle 3 position and 18th in the 10m air rifle, but in Paris, she will be featuring in only women's 50m 3 position. By her own admission, the ouster from the Indian team for Worlds and Asian Games due to inconsistent form was an eye opener for her as the 30-year-old worked on bettering her mental toughness besides focussing entirely on her training. "Three years after Tokyo was a roller-coaster ride for me. I have seen tough times but I wanted to comeback stronger. The experiences of Tokyo will surely be of helpful (in Paris)," Moudgil said in a virtual media interaction. "I really took advantage of quotas and trials, the federation

Breakers weigh pressure, excitement as they make their Olympic debut

Logan Edra knows her journey to securing a spot as one of the breakers on the U.S. team heading to the Olympics took longer than some expected. The 21-year-old Filipina American didn't officially qualify for the Paris Games until last month. It was the last competition for her to earn an Olympic spot despite being of one of the world's best breakers more commonly referred to as breakdancers. As much as we have people around us that are encouraging or part of the hype, it's still a lonely journey. No one really knows what you're going through except for you, said Edra, who is ranked No. 14 in the world and had a meteoric rise on the global breaking scene since 2018. She was expected to defend her championship at the 2022 Red Bull BC One World Final in New York, but was beat out in the intense final round by India Dewi (b-girl India) from the Netherlands before dominating in the Olympic Qualifier Series in Budapest in June. With all the anticipation around breaking officially debuti