Two of Team USA’s biggest names compete again in Paris on Saturday — Simone Biles and Katie Ledecky — while the U.S. women’s soccer team has a key quarterfinal match.
Biles will already leave Paris with gold medals in the individual all-around and team all-around finals. But she could earn another in the women’s vault Saturday, the event where she can pull off the Yurchenko Double Pike, making her the favorite to win.
Ledecky swims in the women’s 800m freestyle with a chance to add to her record 13 Olympic medals. She’s won the 800m freestyle in three straight Olympics — making her the fourth swimmer to win the same event at three straight Olympics. But a gold on Saturday would make Ledecky only the second swimmer man or woman to win the same event at four straight Games, Michael Phelps being the other in the 200m medley, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
The U.S. women’s soccer team faces Japan in the quarterfinals, looking to stay alive for their first gold medal since 2012. The last time the U.S. faced Japan in women’s soccer at the Olympics was in the gold medal match in London.
On the track, Sha’Carri Richardson has a chance at earning her first Olympic medal if she advances past the women’s 100m semifinal. The finals will be held later in the day. Noah Lyles makes his Paris debut in the men’s 100m preliminary round.
The U.S. men’s basketball team also returns to action with a matchup against Puerto Rico. Though they’ve already clinched a spot in the quarterfinals, Team USA is adamant on clinching the top seed.
Here’s what to look for on Saturday.
8:33 a.m. ET — Australian tandem rallies to win gold in men’s tennis doubles
The Olympic gold medal came down to a 10-point tiebreak.
After the American duo of Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek won the opening set of the men’s doubles final in a tiebreak, Australians Matthew Ebden and John Peers responded by claiming the second in another tiebreak.
Buoyed by frequent “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie” cheers from the Australian fans, Ebden and Peers took control early in the match tiebreak. But then, as if the weight of the moment had caught up to them, they needed four nervy match points for the victory, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (1), [10-8]. After they had finally sealed the victory in just over two hours, Ebden and Peers threw up their arms in celebration before hugging. They then hit tennis balls into the crowd while each draped in an Australian flag.
It marked the first Olympic medal for Ebden and the second for Peers, who had previously won bronze with Ashleigh Barty in mixed doubles in Tokyo. It’s Australia’s second Olympic gold in tennis.
Ram and Krajicek had been looking to become the third American team to win gold in men’s doubles since tennis was reintroduced at the Olympics in 1988. Saturday’s silver was the second for Ram, who had earned runner-up status with Venus Williams in mixed doubles in 2016, and the first of any kind for Krajicek. They both looked disappointed as they quickly walked off the court following the match’s conclusion.
Team USA still has a chance to claim two spots on the podium for the event as Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul play in the bronze medal match on Court Philippe-Chatrier in a battle with Tomas Machac and Adam Pavlasek of the Czech Republic. Machac won mixed doubles gold Friday with Katerina Siniakova.
No matter what happens, Paris has still been more fruitful for the American contingent than Tokyo, in which they were left medal-less across all tennis events. — D’Arcy Maine
8:24 a.m. ET — A star-studded semifinal heat in the women’s 100M
Between two of the top young names in track and field and a legend competing in her fifth games, the field for one of Saturday’s semifinal heats in the women’s 100M is loaded with talent.
Sha’Carri Richardson, 24, is searching for her first Olympic medal after missing out on the 2020 Tokyo games. Julien Alfred, 23, is just behind her with similar aspirations. And then there’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who competed in her first Olympics at Beijing 2008 when Richardson and Alfred were 8 and 7, respectively. Fraser-Pryce boasts eight career Olympic medals — including three golds — and has finished on the podium in the 100-meters in four of her five Olympic outings.
Sha’Carri Richardson is in a FAST semifinal heat on Saturday! #ParisOlympics
📺: 1:10p ET on NBC, USA Network and Peacock pic.twitter.com/g5sPgHLOml
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 3, 2024
7:29 a.m. ET — Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s dominance, broken down
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s star has risen higher with each Olympics she has competed in. First she was the youngest athlete to compete at the Games for Team USA in track and field in over 40 years when she made her debut in 2016 at age 17. In 2020 she won two gold medals, setting records in the process. Now, she’s back to defend her crown. McLaughlin-Levrone’s excellence is a convincing mix of athletic IQ and raw speed. — READ MORE
7:08 a.m. ET — A major accomplishment for Team USA in men’s eight rowing
For three consecutive summer Games, the U.S. was unable to get out of fourth place in men’s eight rowing. On Saturday, the squad finally got back on the podium for the first time since 2008, taking the bronze medal. In securing third place in the final they nudged past Germany, which had made the podium each of the past three Games.
For the first time since 2008, Team USA finishes on the podium with a BRONZE in men’s eight rowing! 🥉🚣#ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/bbxvvbyZwB
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 3, 2024
6:42 a.m. ET — Noah Lyles takes second in opening heat
Noah Lyles’ Olympic Games have officially begun, and with a little less dazzle than anticipated.
The American sprinter came in second place in his opening 100-meter heat at the Stade de France. His 10.04-second time was outpaced by the heat’s leader, Louie Hinchcliffe of Great Britain. Hinchcliffe ran in 9.98 seconds.
Even with the second-place finish, Lyles qualifies for Saturday night’s semifinal.
Lyles, who is expected to compete for a medal in the event, didn’t pull off the dominant early-round victory that had been expected. He was running in the middle of the pack for much of the race, until bursting forward for the last 30 meters.
Lyles said he wasn’t expecting the other runners to push the pace so quickly in the early round, but that he’ll avoid making that mistake again. — Coley Harvey
Louie Hinchliffe and Noah Lyles fight to the line in a thrilling 100m heat! #ParisOlympics
📺 NBC, E! and Peacock pic.twitter.com/FhJjmyrKnk
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 3, 2024
6:31 a.m. ET — U.S. swimming’s struggles continue
Team USA leads all nations in total swimming medal count, but boasts only four gold medals. The U.S. is on pace to finish second — or worse — in the final gold medal tally for the first time since the 1988 Games. The squad’s frustrations continued into Saturday morning, as Simone Manuel failed to qualify for the 50M freestyle semifinals, finishing in 18th place in her heat. Manuel had taken home silver at the event at the 2016 Rio games.
Manuel isn’t the only high-profile American swimmer to struggle. Caeleb Dressel, who left Tokyo in 2021 with three individual gold medals, has been unable to defend any of those crowns in Paris.