PARIS: China won their first gold of the Paris Olympics on Saturday, as the rain that dampened the opening ceremony took its toll on the first full day of the sporting action.
The gold was earned in the mixed-team 10-metre air rifle event, where the teenage duo Sheng Lihao and Huang Yuting triumphed over South Korea’s Keum Ji-hyeon and Park Ha-jun with a score of 16-12. Kazakhstan secured the bronze in the event.
The heavy rain that affected the opening ceremony on Friday continued to cause significant disruptions on the first full day of competition. The men’s street skateboarding event, which was scheduled to take place at the historic Place de la Concorde, was postponed until Monday due to the overnight rain. The adverse weather conditions also delayed the start of tennis matches at Roland Garros, with no play occurring on the ten uncovered outside courts until 13:30 local time (11:30 GMT).
Friday’s opening ceremony, despite the weather challenges, was generally well-received. The event featured around 7,000 athletes parading along the Seine in a grand display that concluded with a spectacular light show at the Eiffel Tower and a performance by singer Celine Dion. However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was forced to issue an apology after a gaffe during the ceremony introduced South Korea’s athletes as North Korean. The IOC expressed regret for the mistake in a post on its official Korean-language X account.
As the Games progressed, various sports began to unfold. Swimming took center stage at the La Defense Arena, where the women’s 400m freestyle event featured prominent competitors including Australia’s defending champion Ariarne Titmus, who is the reigning world record holder. The event also saw American Katie Ledecky and Canadian Summer McIntosh competing for medals. The first night of action in the pool also included the men’s 400m freestyle and the 4x100m freestyle relays.
On the clay courts of Roland Garros, the day’s play featured top draws like defending French Open champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz, with Swiatek playing against Romania’s Irina-Camelia Begu and Alcaraz facing Lebanon’s Hady Habib. Notably, Alcaraz was set to team up with 14-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal in the men’s doubles.
In diving, the women’s synchronized 3m springboard final saw Chinese pair Chang Yani and Chen Yiwen as the favorites. The day also included the first cycling medals of the Games, with individual time trials for both men and women taking place on a challenging 32.4-kilometer course.
In rugby sevens, French fans were eager to see if Antoine Dupont could lead the host nation to gold. France faced South Africa in the semi-finals, with the winner advancing to the gold medal match against the victor of the other semi-final between Fiji and Australia.
