Monday, 23 December 2024
Monday, 23 December 2024
The City of Light sparkled on day one of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, serving up a feast of sporting drama that had fans on the edge of their seats. From first-time medallists to seasoned champs, Day 1 commenced with a series of thrilling events, showcasing top-tier athletic performances across multiple disciplines.
First Medals awarded in shooting
The mixed pair 10m air rifle competition marked the first medal event of the Games. Kazakhstan's Alexandra Le and Islam Satpayev secured bronze with a 17-5 victory over Germany's Maximilian Ulbrich and Anna Janssen. This achievement is particularly significant as it represents Kazakhstan's first Olympic shooting medal since 1996.
The gold medal went to China's Huang Yuting and Sheng Lihao, who lived up to their status as reigning world champions. They clinched victory with a 16-12 win over Keum and Park of the Republic of Korea. The final standings saw China taking gold, Korea silver, and Kazakhstan bronze.
Diving glory for China
The synchronised 3m springboard event continued China's remarkable streak in diving. Chen and Chang delivered a masterful performance, finishing with the top score in each of their five rounds to secure gold. This victory marks China's sixth consecutive Olympic title in this event.
Sarah Bacon and Kassidy Cook of the United States claimed silver, while Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen earned bronze, securing Great Britain's first-ever medal in this event.
The competition saw a dramatic turn for the Australian pair Maddison Keeney and Anabelle Smith. Needing only a score of 58.68 in their final dive to secure third place, a mistimed attempt resulted in a score of 48.6, dropping them to fifth position.
Indian shooters in action
In the shooting events, India's Manu Bhaker made a strong start, qualifying for the final of the women's 10m air pistol event. Bhaker finished third in the qualifying round, while her compatriot Rhythm Sangwan placed 15th.
In the men's 10m air pistol, Sarabjot Singh narrowly missed the final, finishing ninth, while Arjun Singh Cheema came in 18th.
The 10m air rifle mixed teams saw both Indian pairs miss out on medal matches. Arjun Babuta and Ramita Jindal finished sixth with a score of 628.7, just short of the top-four cutoff. Sandeep Singh and Elavenil Valarivan placed 12th with a score of 626.3.
Rugby sevens drama
The men's rugby sevens tournament provided a thrilling moment for the host nation. France secured their place in the gold medal match with a convincing 19-5 victory over South Africa in the semi-finals.
The French team's performance was highlighted by key tries from Rebbadj and Jordan Sepho. Rebbadj's try under the posts put France in a commanding position at 14-5. As the final buzzer sounded, Sepho sealed the victory with another try, bringing the final score to 19-5.
The home crowd at the stadium reacted with immense enthusiasm throughout the match, creating an electric atmosphere. This victory sets up an eagerly anticipated gold medal match for France, adding to the excitement of the rugby sevens competition at these Olympics.
Cycling: First medal for Australia
In the women's cycling individual time trial, Australia's Grace Brown delivered a dominant performance. The 32-year-old, who has indicated she may retire from road cycling this year, conquered the wet 32.4km course to win gold by an impressive margin of 1 minute 31.59 seconds. Great Britain's Anna Henderson claimed silver, while world champion Chloé Dygert of the USA overcame a fall to secure bronze.
India’s Badminton campaign begins with a win for Lakshya
Ace Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen triumphed over Guatemala's Kevin Cordon in straight games during a men's singles badminton group match at the Paris Olympics on Saturday. In his Olympics debut, the 22-year-old Sen claimed a 21-8, 22-20 victory against the reigning Pan American champion, wrapping up the match in 42 minutes. Sen, who previously secured gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and bronze at the 2021 World Championships, is set to compete against Belgium's Julien Carraggi in his next group match on Monday. Despite Cordon's strong comeback in the second game, Sen maintained his composure and clinched the win, kickstarting his Olympic campaign with an impressive performa
