The final Friday of the 2024 Olympics brings key knockout rounds for some of Team USA’s top squads, and Sha’Carri Richardson takes the track for the last time in Paris.
U.S. women’s basketball defeated Australia in its semifinal, moving on to the gold medal match for the eighth straight time. The team has dominated at the Olympics so far, winning each game by double digits.
On the track, the men’s and women’s 4×100 relay teams will compete in the finals. The women’s team raced first, winning gold in the race led by an anchor leg from Sha’Carri Richardson. Later in the day, Rai Benjamin will look for his first Olympic gold medal in the 400m men’s hurdles.
Here is Friday’s full schedule.
1:35 p.m. ET — Women’s 4x100m relay grabs gold
Take a bow, Sha’Carri Richardson.
The United States have won a number of sprinting medals on the track this week, and it just added another gold in the women’s 4x100m relay.
The U.S. have been rapid all week, and the quartet of Richardson, Gabrielle Thomas, Melissa Jefferson and Twanisha Terry arrived as favorites for the women’s relay. Three of them have already picked up medals this week, including Thomas’ 200m gold, Richardson’s 100m silver and Jefferson’s 100m bronze.
However, they were in third place by the time Richardson was handed the baton entering the home straight, but they took gold by the time she reached the finish.
HERE COMES SHA’CARRI RICHARDSON!
Team USA takes GOLD in the women’s 4x100m. #ParisOlympics
📺 NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/ZM6qaYCQOw
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 9, 2024
Richardson had to make do with a silver medal in the women’s 100 metres on Saturday after a poor reaction out of the blocks, but she showed again here that she is the fastest woman in the world when she’s at full speed.
There was even enough time for Richardson to take a long look to her right as Britain’s Daryll Neita tried desperately to catch up. — Connor O’Halloran
1:29 p.m. ET — U.S. women’s basketball moves on to gold medal match
Team USA cruised to its 60th straight win, defeating Australia 85-64 to clinch a spot in the gold medal match. The U.S. had four players in double digit points, led by Breanna Stewart’s 16.
They will face either France or Belgium on Sunday for a shot at their eighth straight Olympic gold medal. — READ MORE
ONE GAME AWAY FROM GOLD 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/iVCrEnQDYT
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 9, 2024
12:56 p.m. ET — U.S. women’s basketball brings star-studded sidelines
When the U.S. women’s basketball team plays, it’s there to put on a show — especially in the games that matter the most. With a stacked roster consisting of stars such as A’ja Wilson and Diana Taurasi, it’s only right the stars came out to witness greatness. During Team USA’s semifinal game against Australia, the U.S. men’s basketball team, Carmelo Anthony and the Bryant family were among those in attendance.
12:09 p.m. ET — U.S. men’s volleyball takes bronze
The Americans have displayed strategy, power and explosiveness during their Olympic quest. It all paid off with a bronze medal — their sixth medal — after the U.S. swept Italy 3-0 (25-23, 30-28, 26-24). The medal ties Team USA with Brazil and the Soviet Union for the most men’s volleyball hardware of any country, according to ESPN Stats & Information. It marks the second time the U.S. has won a medal match in straight sets at the Olympics. The other time was in 1984, when the Americans defeated Brazil in the gold medal match.
Erik Shoji scores a point for @USAVolleyball with his shoulder?! 😂 #ParisOlympics
📺 USA Network & Peacock pic.twitter.com/JyBZ8angqQ
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) August 9, 2024
11:23 a.m. ET — Zhang sets up an eagle to finish strong
Rose Zhang is done for the day at 7 under, and it was shots like this that helped her secure that mark. Nelly Korda finished at 4 under, with Lilia Vu trailing at 3 over. Lydia Ko is currently in the lead at 9 under with holes left to play.
INCREDIBLE shot from Rose Zhang to set up EAGLE on the 18th! 🇺🇸🎯
📺 Golf Channel and Peacock | #ParisOlympicspic.twitter.com/rJvz4qJeVT
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 9, 2024
10:59 a.m. ET — Progressive overload, right?
If you think you’re strong, wait until you see this guy. Rizki Juniansyah of Indonesia just lifted close to three times his body weight over his head.
Indonesia’s Rizki Juniansyah weighs 160 pounds. He just successfully lifted 437 POUNDS of weights over his head in the clean and jerk to win gold and set an Olympic record. 🤯#ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/9btpSyWNW6
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) August 9, 2024
10:08 a.m. ET — Sha’Carri Richardson’s sprint starts with her press-on nails
American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson is an Olympic silver medalist in the 100-meter dash. Her look on the track also stands out. Richardson’s hair, jewelry and tattoos display her creativity and transfer over to the track. A big part of Richardson’s appearance is her press-on nails. Meet the nail tech behind the sprinter’s nail art. — READ MORE
9:28 a.m. ET — Was using the Seine at the Olympics worth it?
Paris spent $1.4 billion to clean the River Seine through four events that included the triathlon and marathon swim. However, any type of rainfall could result in higher levels of E. coli and bacteria in the river. During the opening ceremony, over a month’s worth of rain fell into the river within 36 hours.
A test run that would’ve let Olympians familiarize themselves with the course was canceled due to the high concern over the quality of the water, and multiple athletes became sick. Was it ever a great idea to have the athletes swim in the Seine? — READ MORE
8:47 a.m. ET — Letsile Tebogo makes comments about Noah Lyles after 200m final
After winning the men’s 100-meter dash in a photo finish, Noah Lyles was expected to win a second gold in the 200-meter dash. However, Lyles earned a bronze medal in the 200 with a time of 19.70 seconds. Letsile Tebogo won gold, clocking 19.46. In the postrace news conference, Tebogo was asked about becoming the new face of track and field — and he had some criticism for Lyles.
1:06
Tebogo: I’m not arrogant or loud like Noah Lyles
Olympic gold medalist Letsile Tebogo says he will never be the face of athletics because he’s not “arrogant or loud” like Noah Lyles.
7:13 a.m. ET — Team USA women’s 100-meter hurdlers 3-for-3 into finals
The Americans have always been dominant when it comes to the 100-meter hurdles. Grace Stark set the standard for the U.S. women with a perfect three-step technique to finish first in her heat with a time of 12.39 seconds.
Grace Stark leads wire-to-wire to beat Devynne Charlton and go through to the 100m hurdles final. 😲 #ParisOlympics
📺 USA Network & Peacock pic.twitter.com/JI1cFooKX3
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 9, 2024
Alaysha Johnson, from Spring, Texas, made things look easy with a 12.34 to automatically qualify for the finals.
No catching Alaysha Johnson. 🔥
USA Lay jumps into her first Olympic 100m hurdles final. #ParisOlympics
📺 USA Network & Peacock pic.twitter.com/fxE5rbu519
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 9, 2024
U.S. Olympic Trials champion Masai Russell had a bit of work to do, however. After coming off the 10th and final hurdle, Russell was in position to finish third in her heat. Russell leaned her torso across the line to stretch over Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent, finishing second with a time of 12.42 seconds to move on to the final.
Masai Russell finishes STRONG to hold off the pack and win the last auto qualification into the 100m hurdles final.👏 #ParisOlympics
📺 USA Network & Peacock pic.twitter.com/VsfvHWlFM2
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 9, 2024
6:44 a.m. ET — Bryce Hoppel powers his way into 800m final
American Bryce Hoppel’s strategy to make his way to the final of the men’s 800 meters was spot on. Staying with the pack was the name of the game for Hoppel, as he kicked just enough in the final stretch to finish in second place in his heat and to be an automatic qualifier with a time of 1:43.41.
Bryce Hoppel takes it all the way to the line to secure a spot in his first Olympic 800m final. 💪 #ParisOlympics
📺 USA Network & Peacock pic.twitter.com/JNzIzi9998
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 9, 2024
6:40 a.m. ET — Team USA men’s 4×400 gets the stick onto the finals
Quincy Wilson, 16, wouldn’t just make history as the youngest American male to compete in the Olympics, he had the honor come out of the blocks as the first leg.
16-year-old Quincy Wilson makes his Olympic debut and becomes the youngest male track & field athlete to compete for the United States at the Olympics. 🇺🇸 #ParisOlympics
📺 USA Network & Peacock pic.twitter.com/XJ4HudX0Dx
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 9, 2024
Wilson ran a 47.27-second split, handing off the baton seventh to Vernon Norwood. His 43.54 caught Team USA up with the pack. Bryce Deadmon ran 44.20 seconds to pass off the baton to Chris Bailey, who was in the men’s 400m final, to pull through for the U.S. The top three move onto finals, and Bailey’s 44.14 anchor leg split moved Team USA into qualifying position to finish third with a 2:59.15 to advance to the finals.
