Paris (AFP) – Simone Biles recaptured her all-around gymnastics crown on Thursday for her sixth Olympic gold and second in Paris, as a gender eligibility row in boxing shook the Games and sparked broader debate. Already considered the greatest gymnast of all time, America’s Biles made another piece of history as the first woman to regain the Olympic all-around title, having won it in 2016.
Biles capped another scintillating performance with an electrifying floor routine to Taylor Swift’s hit song “Ready for It?”, her high-flying tumbling bringing the crowd to its feet. Biles famously withdrew from most of her events in Tokyo three years ago because of a debilitating condition that gymnasts call the “twisties,” but earned plaudits for speaking openly about her mental health. Biles led the United States to women’s team gold this week, the first chapter of what has been billed as a redemption tour for her and her teammates.
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The 27-year-old could add three more golds in Paris as she competes in the apparatus finals on the vault, floor exercise, and balance beam. “Three years ago I never thought I’d step on a gymnastic court again, but worked hard, mentally and physically, even saw my therapist this morning, just making sure I’m mentally well,” she said. The stars were out again for Biles, with US basketball players Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry watching at Bercy Arena along with NBA legend Tony Parker and footballing great Zinedine Zidane.
Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade took silver, and defending champion Sunisa Lee won bronze. In swimming, Canadian teenager Summer McIntosh stormed to the women’s 200m butterfly title for her third medal of the Paris Olympics and second gold, boosting her status as one of the breakout stars of the Games. The 17-year-old hit the wall in an Olympic record 2min 03.03sec ahead of America’s Regan Smith and Chinese defending champion Zhang Yufei. Hungary’s Hubert Kos triumphed in the men’s 200m backstroke while Kate Douglass of the United States clinched women’s 200m breaststroke gold. Australia won the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay for their fifth gold in swimming in Paris.
The sporting action threatened to be overshadowed by a major controversy involving an Algerian boxer who failed a gender eligibility test last year. Imane Khelif took just 46 seconds to overwhelm her battered, beaten, and distraught Italian opponent Angela Carini. Khelif is one of two athletes competing in women’s boxing in Paris despite failing to meet the eligibility criteria for the world championships last year. Carini refused to shake hands with Khelif after a one-sided fight and the Italian sank to her knees and sobbed in the middle of the ring. She said: “My nose started dripping (with blood) from the first hit.”
The bout sparked an immediate reaction from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who said the fight was “not on an equal footing,” while prominent public figures from around the world also weighed in. Harry Potter author JK Rowling, who has previously been outspoken on similar issues, said the Games were “forever tarnished by the brutal injustice done to Carini.” Also on social media, tennis great Martina Navratilova described the situation as “deplorable,” alleging that Khelif was a “biological man.”
On the red clay of Roland Garros, British tennis legend Andy Murray bowed out of the sport when he and Dan Evans lost in straight sets in the men’s doubles quarter-finals. The 37-year-old Murray, a two-time singles gold medallist and three-time major winner, had already announced that the Olympics would be his last hurrah. “I’m proud of my career, my achievements, and what I put into the sport,” said Murray.
The men’s golf competition teed off with Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama shooting a sparkling eight-under-par opening round to take the lead. Israel won their first two medals in Paris, with their judokas taking a bronze and a silver through Peter Paltchik and Inbar Lanir. Israel’s participation at the Games was strongly opposed by the Palestinian delegation because of Israel’s offensive in Gaza. At the end of the sixth day in Paris, China topped the overall medals table with 11 golds, ahead of the US with nine.
© 2024 AFP
