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Sunday at the Olympics saw some of the biggest U.S. names in action for the first time in these Games, from Simone Biles and Suni Lee to a star-studded men’s basketball debut. The U.S. women’s national soccer team, meanwhile, secured its spot in the knockout round.
It was a strong day for Team USA’s medal count as U.S. women went gold-silver in two separate events. For host France, swimmer Léon Marchand met massive expectations with a record performance to secure what could be the first of four gold medals in Paris. Read on for more on a thrilling Sunday at the Olympics:
Simone Biles, Sunisa Lee advance to finals for USA gymnastics
It was a great start for USA gymnastics, which easily advanced to the team finals in qualifying with strong performances all around. Simone Biles had another dominant day, even with a lower leg injury, and finished at the top of the individual all-around table.
Sunisa Lee, the Tokyo 2020 all-around champ, also advanced to the finals after barely beating out Jordan Chiles for the second U.S. spot. Lee and Biles facing off will mark the first time in Olympics history that two prior all-around champions will compete in the individual all-around finals.
USA men’s basketball dominates Serbia
USA men’s basketball got its quest for a fifth straight gold off to a strong start with a 110-84 win over Serbia. Kevin Durant, back with the team after some time since going down with a calf injury, went off in the team’s first group stage game. He finished 5 for 5 from beyond the arc to score 23 points, with 21 coming in the first half.
Durant did his damage off the bench after USA dug an early 10-2 hole.
LeBron James had a big game of his own, nearly getting a triple-double with 21 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. But it was Durant who really made this game go, helping the U.S. overcome the early deficit to build up a lead and never look back.
USWNT advances out of group stage with win over Germany
After defeating Zambia 3-0 in its first matchup of Group B, the U.S. women’s national team defeated Germany handily on Sunday, earning the 4-1 victory with a Sophia Smith brace. Smith had two goals in the first half, scoring her second with a wild deflection off the post.
The Smith-Mallory Swanson-Trinity Rodman front line worked to perfection, with the three helping make a statement against the European powerhouse. Rodman had a great assist for Smith’s first Olympic goal; Swanson got a goal of her own, and gave the assist for substitute (and former alternate) Lynn Williams to get the fourth and final goal, which all but sealed the deal.
With the win, the USWNT picked up three more points and will officially advance out of the group stage and into the knockout round, regardless of the outcome against Australia on Wednesday. But the second big win gives the U.S. a good amount of confidence heading into the rest of the tournament, on its way to chasing gold.
USA women go gold-silver in multiple events
USA swimming’s quest for superiority in the pool continued with Torri Huske winning the 100-meter butterfly on Sunday for Team USA’s first individual gold medal. Huske edged out U.S. teammate Gretchen Walsh for the title, beating her by 0.04 seconds to win her first Olympic gold.
Walsh, just a day after posting a record-breaking performance in the semifinal, took silver. But in a lovely moment, Huske honored her teammate by having her stand on the top of the podium with her.
In foil fencing, Lee Kiefer and Lauren Scruggs ensured a 1-2 finish for Team USA in the semifinals by advancing to face each other in Sunday’s final.
When they got there, it was all Kiefer. The gold medalist in women’s individual foil in Tokyo, Kiefer allowed the first touch to Scruggs. But Kiefer took over from there en route to a dominant 15-6 win to defend her Olympic crown. She became the first woman in U.S. history to win two Olympic gold medals in fencing. She did so at 30 years old in her fourth Olympics.
Scruggs, meanwhile, takes home silver in her Olympic debut at 21 years old. The Harvard fencer has a bright future and could compete for more Olympic hardware down the road.
French hero Léon Marchand wins gold in record time
French swimmer Léon Marchand entered Olympic competition with enormous expectations and the weight of the host nation on his shoulders.
So far, so good. Marchand took home gold in his first medal chance Sunday in record fashion. He dominated the field in the 400-meter individual medley final with an Olympic record time of 4:02.95. Japan’s Tomoyuki Matsushita took silver nearly six seconds back (4:08.62).
The victory sent the 17,000-seat swimming venue La Défense Arena into a frenzy and earned the 22-year-old swimmer a call from French President Emmanuel Macron. And he’s not done.
Marchand has a chance at securing three more gold medals in the next week and will continue to be one of the biggest names to watch in Paris.
Paris medal count
Highlight of the Day
Stephen Curry did his best to match Durant’s moves on the court with his own dance moves on the Team USA bench.
