Biles eyes first Olympic gold since 2016; triathlon postponed due to Seine pollution
Simone Biles is poised to win her first Olympic gymnastics gold since 2016 on Tuesday, while Paris organisers postponed the men’s triathlon by a day due to pollution in the Seine just hours before it was set to start.
America’s Biles appears to be back at her peak as she leads the United States on a redemption mission in the women’s team final. The 27-year-old, widely regarded as the greatest gymnast of all time, won four gold medals at the Rio 2016 Games. However, she faced mental challenges known as the “twisties” at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics, causing her to withdraw from most events. The U.S. settled for silver behind Russia.
“It has to be for us,” Biles said regarding the U.S. bid to recapture their women’s team crown. “It can’t be for anybody else. We do it for ourselves and the love of the sport and the love for representing the USA.”
The U.S. team topped the rankings in qualifying, and Biles impressed an A-list crowd in Paris on Sunday despite tweaking her left calf and competing with her leg taped.
River Pollution Delays Triathlon
The River Seine, intended to host the swimming leg of the triathlon, faced a last-minute postponement due to poor water quality. Heavy rain on Friday and Saturday worsened pollution, leading World Triathlon to push the men’s individual event to Wednesday. Paris 2024 officials had hoped for iconic images of triathlon and marathon swimming along the Seine but had to cancel a second day of training on Monday due to raw sewage discharges.
Swimming Highlights
Defending champion Kaylee McKeown of Australia and U.S. world record-holder Regan Smith will compete for 100m backstroke gold at La Defense Arena on Tuesday. The men’s 4x200m freestyle relay and the men’s 800m freestyle, where Ireland’s Daniel Wiffen seeks to become the first Irishman to win Olympic swimming gold, are also on the agenda. Wiffen, who posted the fastest time in the heats, said, “Any medal’s good… I’ll take any medal, whatever colour.”
Other Events
Gold medals are also at stake in fencing, judo, shooting, and table tennis. The women’s rugby sevens final will take place, following France’s thrilling men’s title win. In tennis, Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz will compete in the second round of the men’s doubles.
(Source: AFP)
