China wins maiden Olympic gold as Paris rain disrupts games
China won their first gold of the Paris Olympics on Saturday as the rain that dampened the opening ceremony took its toll on the first day of competition. Kazakhstan won bronze in the mixed-team 10-metre air rifle final as teenage duo Sheng Lihao and Huang Yuting defeated South Korean pair Keum Ji-hyeon and Park Ha-jun 16-12. One sporting casualty was reported early Saturday as the rain that soaked Friday night’s daring Seine celebration continued to cause issues.
The men’s street skateboarding competition in Paris’ Place de la Concorde was postponed until Monday due to overnight rain, officials said. Roland Garros administrators said the 10 uncovered outside courts were shut down until 13:30 local time (1130 GMT) due to the downpours. In Friday’s amphibious opening ceremony, 7,000 athletes paraded along the Seine in an armada of boats before a show-stopping finale featuring a brilliant light show at the Eiffel Tower and a Celine Dion performance. The centre-right Le Figaro called the ceremony “full of surprises but often disjointed.”
South Korean athletes were misidentified as North Korean throughout the ceremony, prompting the International Olympic Committee to apologise. “We deeply apologise for the mistake that occurred when introducing the South Korean team during the opening ceremony,” the IOC wrote on its Korean-language X account. A swimming battle, badminton, rowing, cycling, hockey, basketball, and surfing competitions are underway on the French Pacific island of Tahiti, nearly 16,000 km (9,950 mi) away.
Three world record holders will compete in the women’s 400m freestyle in the La Defence Arena, one of the Olympics’ most anticipated events. Australian defending champion Ariarne Titmus will be the favourite after setting the second-fastest time ever last month behind her own 3min 55.38sec. She defeated US rival Katie Ledecky in an exciting Tokyo final three years ago, with the American great seeking retribution.
Canadian adolescent sensation Summer McIntosh, a former world record holder, completes the popular trio. The men’s 400m freestyle and men’s and women’s 4x100m freestyle relays also provide gold medals on the opening night of pool action. Weather permitting, Roland Garros’ first day of clay court play features reigning French Open champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz in the top draws.
Swiatek faces Romania’s Irina-Camelia Begu first, followed by Alcaraz against Lebanon’s Hady Habib. But the men’s doubles, featuring Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal in a Spanish dream combo, will be the main emphasis. After a decisive win at last year’s global championships in Baku, Chinese shooters Huang Yuting and Sheng Lihao are favourites for the Games’ first gold. Chang Yani and Chen Yiwen, another Chinese duo, are favourites to win the women’s synchronised 3m springboard final on Saturday.
The men’s and women’s individual times trials on a tough 32.4-kilometre route will decide the games’ first cycling medals. French rugby fans will visit the Stade de France to see if Antoine Dupont can win rugby sevens gold for France. France must beat South Africa in Saturday’s semi-finals to play the winner of holders Fiji and Australia’s other last-four match for the gold medal.
