Simone Biles reached the top of the podium yet again, cementing her legacy as the greatest American gymnast and one of the best athletes in the history of the Olympics. (Full Olympics Coverage)
Biles helped the Unite♔d States win the women's team event Tuesday to secure her fifth Olympic gold medal and put the U.S. back on top of the sport after a second-place finish three years ag♐o in Tokyo.
Biles became the most decorated American gymnast in front of a crowd that included Nicole Kidman, Natalie Portman, Serena Williams, Spike Lee, Michael Phelps and Nadia Comaneci at a raucous Bercy Arena.
It was th꧒e eighth Olympic medal for the 27-year-old Biles, who was previously tied with Shannon Miller at seven.
Italy won the silver medal, and Brazil got the bronze.
There were no such triumphs in swimming for the Americans, who couldn't manage more than silver and bronze medals. In tennis, it was👍 Coco Gauff left fuming over an officiating decision in a lಞoss to Donna Vekic of Croatia.
There were no winners or losers in men's triathlon, which was as postponed because of concerns about the water quality in the Seine River amid a heat wave that made life difficult on some athletes and fans in Paris.
US swimming woes
Australian Kaylee McKeown knocked off world record holder Regan Smith of the United States in the 100 backstroke to defend her the title from the 🧔Tokyo Games.
Smith couldn't hold off the hard-charging Aussie, who touched the wall in 57.33 secoꦓnds to win by a relatively comfortable margin over Smith's 57.66. The U.S. also 🦂grabbed the bronze with Katharine Berkoff.
In the men's 800 freestyle, Daniel Wiffen won Ireland's first gold medal in swimming since scandal-plagued Michelle Smith won three events in 1996. Defending champion Bobby Finke ofဣ the U.S. got the silver.
The night's other gold medal went to Britain, which defended its title in the men's 4x200 freestyle relay, with the U.S. ea🎉rning yet anotheꦅr silver.
Gauff upset
The scene felt all too familiar to Gauff. An officiating decision she was sure was wrong. A chair umpire who wouldn't listen. Tears streaming down her cheeks. And, most disappointing of all, a loss, this time at the Paris Games.
Even th✱e site was the same: Court Philippe Chatrier was where the reigning U.S. Open champion w🐟as eliminated in the third round at the Summer Games by Donna Vekic of Croatia 7-6 (7), 6-2.
That's also the main stadium used annually for the French Open, where Gauff found herself in a nearly identical dispute over a call while being defeated by eve🎃ntual champion Iga Swiatek in the semifinals last mo🃏nth.
“There's been multiple times this year where that's happened to me — where I felt like I always have to be an advocate fo𒀰r myself on the court,” Gauff said afterward, renewing a call for video review to be used in tennis, ꦑas it is in many other professional sports.
Gauff was the female f❀lag bearer for the United States during the opening ceremony on Friday🐻.
Also in tennis, Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz advanced into the do🦩ubles quarterfinals with a 6-4, 💧6-7 (2), 10-2 match tiebreaker victory over Tallon Griekspoor and Wesley Koolhof of the Netherlands.
No. 1-ranked Iga Swiatek ♛deꦉfeated No. 52 Wang Xiyu of China 6-2, 6-4.
Heat wave
After en✅during the rain in the opening ceremony, athletes now are having to deal with the heat.
Most of France is under heat warnings, with temperatures in Paris hitting 36 degrees Celsius (97 Fahrenheit), the national weather agency said. Air conditioning is𒀰 far less common in French homes, shops and restaurants than in places like the United States.
The heat was even worse in the south, including the region around the Mediterranean cities of🅠 Marseille and Nice that are hosting Olympic competitions like soccer and sailing. It was as hot as 41 C (105 F) in parts of southern France.
Before winning the gold Tuesday, Biles posted a video on Instagram while struggling with the lack of air conditioning🐠.
“Don🌸't come for me about my hair,” Biles wrote on Instagram before the gymnastics team final. “IT WAS DONE but bus hasꩵ NO AC and it's like 9,000 degrees. Oh & a 45 minutes ride.”
