The penultimate day of the Paris Olympics provides a plethora of options.
Thirty-nine gold medal events across 21 sports. The U.S. women’s soccer and men’s basketball teams are each a win from gold. And the final day of track and field action at Stade de France closes with a pair of relays.
Here’s what we’re tracking.
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Events to watch
USWNT plays for gold
Time:11 a.m. ET, 5 p.m. in Paris
TV:NBC, Telemundo and Peaco*ck
What to watch:For the first time since 2012, the U.S. women’s national team is back in the Olympic gold-medal match. It took a Trinity Rodman extra-time goal against Japan to send the Americans to the semifinal in their first major tournament under coach Emma Hayes. Sophia Smith scored in extra time against Germany in the semifinals to advance to the gold medal match. A win would clinch their fifth Olympic gold medal.
The team seemed loose ahead of the final against Brazil, spending much of Friday’s pregame news conference debating who on the team is the best at karaoke. (Hayes’ go-to song: Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby.”)
The attacking trio of Rodman, Smith and Mallory Swanson — who decided on the nickname “Triple Espresso” this week — each have three goals in the tournament.
Mallory Swanson, Sophia Smith & Trinity Rodman from @teamusa @USWNT have announced they have a name for themselves ☕☕☕ pic.twitter.com/JifIQ6PFC1
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) August 8, 2024
Brazil is back in the gold medal match for the first time since 2008, when it lost to the U.S. It’s a momentous occasion with Brazil icon Marta in her final international tournament. A six-time FIFA Player of the Year, Marta has 119 career goals for Brazil and two Olympic silver medals. The 38-year-old is expected to return Saturday after a two-game suspension for a red card she received in group play.
GO DEEPERMarta’s legacy is defiance, hunger and joy. But how will it end at the Olympics?A potential classic in men’s hoops
Time:3:30 p.m. ET, 9:30 p.m. in Paris
TV:NBC and Peaco*ck
What to watch:The Olympic men’s basketball tournament got arguably its dream matchup for the gold medal: the United States versus host France. Bercy Arena in Paris will be loud as the home crowd looks to push France to its first gold medal. It’s also a rematch of the 2021 gold medal game, which the U.S. won 87-82.
The U.S. rallied from a 17-point deficit to defeat Serbia 95-91 on Thursday in a thrilling semifinal. Stephen Curry was brilliant, with 36 points on 12-of-19 shooting. LeBron James continued his stellar Olympics with a triple-double (16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists).
GO DEEPERAmick: Steph Curry was ready to 'meet the moment' in a way we've never seenFrance beat Germany 73-69 in the other semifinal. Guerschon Yabusele (17 points), Isaia Cordinier (16) and NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama (11) scored in double figures.
The game within the game bears watching, too: French fans have booed center Joel Embiid all tournament for choosing to represent the U.S. over Les Bleus. Embiid said Friday he’s going to “enjoy it.”
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Final day of track and field
Mutaz Barshim of Qatar and Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy shared the high jump gold medal in Tokyo. (Photo: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)
Time:1 p.m. ET, 7 p.m. in Paris
TV:NBC and Peaco*ck
What to watch: It’s been an entertaining week of athletics action at Stade de France. New world records. Photo finishes. Even a proposal.
Saturday brings eight medal events, concluding with the men’s and women’s 4×400-meter relays.
The U.S. is vying for its eighth consecutive gold in the women’s relay. After Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s world record-shattering 400m hurdles win Thursday, she’s expected to run — sans hurdles — as part of the relay team.
On the men’s side, 16-year-old Quincy Wilson became the youngest American male to appear in an Olympic track and field event in the prelims, but is not likely to be part of the final team. Quincy Hall, who won gold in the 400 meters earlier in the program, is a lock if he’s fit for the race.
In the men’s high jump, all eyes will be on reigning Olympic champions Mutaz Barshim of Qatar and Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy. Their sportsmanship went viral in Tokyo in 2021 when the pair decided to share gold medals instead of holding a jump-off.
The men’s 800m, women’s javelin, women’s 100m hurdles, men’s 5000m and women’s 1500m are the other events to cap off the Paris athletics competition.
B-boy competition takes shape
Time:10 a.m. ET, 4 p.m. in Paris, 3:29 p.m. ET (gold medal battle), 9:29 p.m. in Paris
TV:E! and Peaco*ck
What to watch: After the B-girl competition on Friday, it’s time for the B-boy breaking event on Saturday. Just like the B-girls, the B-boys do a round robin before quarterfinals, semifinals and finals. Once a breaker advances to the knockout stage, it takes three straight battle wins to get the gold medal.
Florida native Victor Montalvo, known as “B-boy Victor,” and Houston’s Jeffrey Louis, “B-boy Jeffro,” qualified for the U.S. Montalvo, 30, most recently won a gold medal at the 2023 world championships and is currently the highest-ranked American men’s breaker in the world.
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The 29-year-old Louis finished fourth in the Olympic qualifying standings to clinch his spot.
Crowning a women’s golf champion
Lydia Ko shot a 4-under 68 on Friday to move into a tie for first. (Photo: Pierre-Philippe Marcou / AFP via Getty Images)
Time:Starting at 3 a.m. ET, 9 a.m. in Paris
TV:Golf Channel and Peaco*ck
What to watch:Switzerland’s Morgane Metraux and New Zealand’s Lydia Ko enter the final day tied for the lead at 9-under-par, but they’re far from the only contenders with 18 holes to play at Le Golf National. The United States’ Rose Zhang and Japan’s Miyu Yamash*ta are both two strokes behind at 7 under.
Metraux, who ranks 137th in the world, was bolstered by a tremendous second round Friday, a six-under 66 that included two eagles. Ko, who won bronze in Tokyo in 2021, is a two-time major champion.
The reigning gold medalist, American Nelly Korda, is tied for seventh at 4 under.
Metraux, Ko and Zhang are the last group teeing off, at 6:39 a.m. ET.
Friday highlight
HERE COMES SHA’CARRI RICHARDSON!
Team USA takes GOLD in the women’s 4x100m. #ParisOlympics
📺 NBC & Peaco*ck pic.twitter.com/ZM6qaYCQOw
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 9, 2024
Sha’Carri Richardson has her gold medal.
The American sprinter closed strong to help the U.S. win the women’s 4×100-meter relay Friday, earning her first Olympic gold medal after she captured a silver in the 100m earlier in these Games.
More fromThe Athletic’s Marcus Thompson on Richardson’s moment in Paris.
Required reading
- Imane Khelif wins Olympic boxing gold medal, ending trying Games with triumph
- U.S. men doomed by botched baton pass in 4×100 relay, extending medal drought to 20 years
- Spain win gold in Olympic men’s soccer after beating France 5-3 in final
- Olympic marathons plus scorching heat equals one more issue for Paris organizers
- Breakdancer Manizha Talash reveals ‘Free Afghan Women’ cape during Olympic performance
(Photo: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)
Lukas Weese is a Staff Editor of News at The Athletic. Before The Athletic, Lukas was a freelance sports journalist, working as an associate editor at Sportsnet, an OHL reporter for the Toronto Star and had bylines in outlets such as ESPN's Andscape, USA Today, Complex, Yahoo Sports, GOLF Magazine, Just Women's Sports and Raptors Republic. Lukas also does freelance play-by-play broadcasting. Follow Lukas on Twitter @Weesesports
