Day 10 of the Olympics was a big day for the Americans in track and field, with Simone Biles competing for the final time in Paris, not one but two important soccer matches, and much more.
Let’s take a look back at all the biggest actions.
Women’s Gymnastics
The gymnastics competition at the Paris Olympics came to a dramatic end on Monday when Biles missed out on the gold medal in the floor exercise final.
Monday’s silver medal on the floor exercise was Biles’ 11th Olympic medal. She had won her seventh gold medal earlier in Paris, putting her within striking distance of Soviet legend Larisa Latynina’s nine gold medals, the most ever by a gymnast.
Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade beat Biles to win the gold medal in the floor exercise, becoming her country’s most decorated Olympian.
“Obviously, it wasn’t my best performance,” said Biles, who missed the podium after falling in the balance beam final, “but at the end of the day, no matter who wins a medal, I’ll be excited about it because you never know what’s going to happen. It’s gymnastics.”
“I can’t be upset about my performance because I have achieved way more than I ever dreamed, not just at this Olympics but in the sporting world,” she added. “A few years ago I never thought I’d be back at the Olympics, competing and winning four medals. I’m very proud of myself.”
In one of the most dramatic twists of the Games, Jordan Chiles appealed the scores and then went on to win her first individual Olympic medal, a bronze on the floor exercise to add to her two team medals – gold in Paris and silver in Tokyo.
Chiles was originally placed fifth, but her coaches asked the judges to investigate and a tenth of a point was deducted from her final score.
“I’m speechless, but I’m so proud of myself,” said a hoarse-voiced Chiles after the competition, after the thunderous cheers had left her voice. “Losing my voice means everything to me, because it’s going to take a while for me to get it back.”
Athletics
In track and field, three Americans have qualified for the 200-meter final on Tuesday.
Gabby Thomas will represent the United States, along with Mackenzie Long and Brittany Brown.
Thomas, who won a bronze medal in the same event in Tokyo, will face stiff competition in the final, especially from St. Lucia’s Julian Alfred, who dominated his opponents in the 100m final this week.
Both Thomas and Alfred left the others far behind in the semi-finals, Thomas finishing in 21.86 seconds and Alfred in 21.98 seconds.
Also, can we have a guy pole vaulting on the field?
Sweden’s Armand “Mondo” Duplantis set a new world record in the men’s pole vault on Monday, adding another to his gold medal tally. Duplantis has been dominant in the sport recently, winning gold medals at the last two Olympic Games as well as at various international competitions.
Duplantis had already won gold by clearing 6 metres when he decided to try, first clearing 6.10 metres to set an Olympic record, then clearing 6.25 metres in three tries to set a new overall record.
Sam Kendricks of the United States came in second to win the silver medal, while Emanouil Karalis of Greece won the bronze medal.
Men’s Soccer
The men’s soccer final has been decided.
Spain and hosts France will face off for the gold medal on Friday, but only after some dramatic turns of events.
Spain came back from a 1-0 half-time deficit to beat Morocco, tying the score in the 65th minute and scoring the winner in the 85th minute with a goal from Juanl Sanchez.
Meanwhile, France needed extra time to reach the final. The hosts and Egypt were tied 1-1, but France scored two goals in extra time to book a place in the gold medal match. Egypt took a first-half lead, but France then scored three more goals to come back.
The final marks Spain’s fifth tie in Olympic history.
volleyball
There was significant action on both the beach and the hardwood on Monday.
On the beach, Canada defeated the United States in the round of 16 in two tight sets, 21-19 and 21-18.
The U.S. team of Taryn Cross and Kristen Nass led 14-9 in the first set before Canada finished strong. In the second set, Cross and Nass rallied from a 15-11 deficit to tie the score at 18-18 before losing the final three points of the match.
“It’s very disappointing,” Cross said. “I’m just excited to have this opportunity and to get to play with Kristen and I’m just focused on that.”
Meanwhile, American men performed better on the beach and in the gym.
The beach team defeated Italy to reach the quarterfinals, while the court team defeated Brazil 3-1 to reach the semifinals.
What’s next?
The women’s 200m final will be the highlight of Tuesday’s event, scheduled for 3:40pm ET.
The men’s basketball quarterfinals will also begin, with the United States facing off against Brazil.
Other medals expected to be won include the men’s 1500m, men’s long jump and women’s skateboard park final.
Volleyball, table tennis, boxing and handball will also continue in full swing.
