World
Paris Olympics: Imane Khelif wins boxing gold
Khelif’s gold medal is Algeria’s first in women’s boxing. She is only the nation’s second boxing gold medalist, joining Hocine Soltani (1996).
The Paris Olympics are edging towards the conclusion with an exciting Saturday packed with finals in team sports.
Here is a recap of the main events:
- 1 pm CET – Men’s volleyball final: France vs Poland
- 5 pm – Women’s football final: Brazil vs US
- 9:30 pm – Men’s basketball final: France vs US
On Friday, Algerian boxer Imane Khelif claimed the 66kg women’s crown after beating China’s Yang Liu 5:0.
Khelif wrapped up the best series of fights of her boxing career with a victory at Roland Garros, where crowds chanted her name, waved Algerian flags and roared every time she landed a punch.
After her unanimous win, Khelif jumped into her coaches’ arms, one of them putting her on his shoulders and carrying her around the arena in a victory lap as she pumped her fists and grabbed an Algerian flag from someone in the crowd.
Those cheering fans have embraced Khelif throughout her run in Paris even as she faced an extraordinary amount of scrutiny from world leaders, major celebrities and others who have questioned her eligibility or falsely claimed she was a man.
Golden summer for Spanish football as men’s team win final
Sergio Camello struck twice in extra time as Spain took gold in the Olympic men’s football final after a 5-3 win against France.
The thrilling win at Parc des Princes completed a golden summer for Spanish football – following the senior team’s European Championship triumph last month.
The women’s team however didn’t manage to scoop a medal as they lost 1-0 to Germany in the bronze final. Germany’s goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger saved a penalty into the ninth minute of stoppage time from Spanish Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas, who broke down in tears after the final whistle.
Giulia Gwinn scored the winner in the 64th minute from the penalty spot after being fouled by Spain’s goalkeeper Cata Coll.
Rai Benjamin gets gold in the 400-meter hurdles
After three silver medals in the 400-meter hurdles at the Olympics and world championships, Benjamin convincingly beat Norway’s Warholm and Brazil’s Dos Santos.
“I got it done,” the 27-year-old said after the race. ”It has eluded me so long. … I don’t think I ever doubted it. It was more just staying patient and keep showing up every day and something has to shake. I told myself, ‘This has got to go my way at some point.’ And it went my way today.”
Sha’Carri Richardson rallies US women in Olympic 4×100
Richardson captured her first Olympic gold medal with a come-from-behind anchor leg for the United States in the Olympic 4×100, then stepped aside to watch the US men extend their streak to 20 years without a medal at the Games.
Bulgaria weightlifter wins gold 15 months since a hotel sink fell and severed an Achilles tendon
Bulgaria’s Karlos Nasar won weightlifting gold to break two world records, just over a year after a hotel sink fell on him and severed his left Achilles tendon.
Nasar was showering the night before an awards ceremony in May 2023 when he reached for shampoo and pressed down, causing the sink to fall out of the wall and onto him. After undergoing emergency surgery and missing six months, he returned in December and set the clean-and-jerk world record that he surpassed in this event.
The 21-year-old Nasar, a Paris native, lifted 180kg in the snatch and a world record 224 in the clean and jerk to become champion in his Olympic debut with a score of 404 – also a world record.
China is 7 for 7 in diving gold at the Paris Olympics and seek an unprecedented sweep of all eight
China is 7 for 7 in diving golds at the Paris Olympics. Just one to go for an unprecedented sweep of all eight golds in the Games.
Any pressure? That was the question for Chen Yiwen, who won the women’s 3-metre springboard for China.
“I think that pressure is pushing us to work harder, not to let people down,” Chen said.
Table tennis player Ma Long makes history with sixth Olympic gold medal
Ma Long became the Chinese athlete with the most gold medals in the history of the Olympics when he helped China win the men’s table tennis team final.
China defeated Sweden for its fifth straight Olympic victory in the team event, and Ma secured his sixth gold to become the most decorated table tennis Olympian.
The 35-year-old won at least one gold medal in every Summer Games since London 2012.
Harrie Lavreysen defends Olympic sprint title, Italian women capture Madison gold in track cycling
Netherlands’ Lavreysen swept his best-of-three semifinal against Jack Carlin of Britain, then swept past Matthew Richardson of Australia in the finals, giving the brilliant track cyclist from the Netherlands his second gold medal of the Paris Games.
“In the semifinals I was really keen on not making mistakes,” the 27-year-old said. “I was even more nervous than I was for the final, because I knew for the final, I could finally throw everything out that I’ve got.”
In the women’s Madison, the Italian team of Chiara Consonni and Vittoria Guazzini gained a lap on the field and then won enough points in intermediate sprints to capture gold.