A look at five things to know from Friday at the 2024 Paris Olympics
PARIS – From Méthot’s trampoline bronze to more Masse magic in the pool, here are five things to know from Friday at the 2024 Paris Games:
MIXED RESULTS
Felix Auger-Aliassime’s day at the Paris Games started with a drubbing and ended with a medal. The tennis star from Montreal had his gold-medal aspirations in the men’s singles competition shut down emphatically with a 6-1, 6-1 to Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals. The Spanish star improved his career record against Auger-Aliassime to 4-3 with his second win over the Canadian at Roland Garros this year. Alcaraz also beat Auger-Aliassime in the Round of 16 at the French Open en route to winning the Grand Slam. Auger-Aliassime rebounded in style, however, teaming with Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski to win the mixed doubles bronze-medal match 6-3, 7-6 (2) against Dutch tandem Demi Schuurs and Wesley Koolhof. Canada’s only other Olympic tennis medal came in 2000 with a gold in men’s doubles.
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JUMPING FOR JOY
Add Sophiane Méthot to the long list of Canada’s Olympic trampoline medallists. Competing on the eve of her 26th birthday, the gymnast from Varennes, Que., had what she called “the performance of a lifetime” to take the bronze medal in the women’s competition. Méthot was holding on to third place with one competitor remaining — China’s Hu Yicheng. But Hu fell during her final routine, giving Canada its eighth trampoline medal since the sport was included at the 2000 Olympics.
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HAMMER TIME
With some hefty heaves, Canadian hammer throwers Ethan Katzberg, of Nanaimo, B.C., and Rowan Hamilton, of Chilliwack, B.C., had the first and second-best throws in men’s qualifying at Stade de France. Top-ranked Katzberg threw 79.93 metres to lead Group B, while Hamilton topped Group A with a personal-best throw of 77.78 metres. Katzberg owns the world-leading mark this year at 84.38 metres and has a lot more in the tank heading into Sunday’s 12-man final. The 22-year-old is making his Olympic debut after breaking out in 2023 by winning gold at the world championships in Budapest, Hungary.’
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MEDAL MAGNET
You can count on Kylie Masse to bring home hardware from the Olympics. The 28-year-old from LaSalle, Ont., won bronze in the women’s 200-metre backstroke to become the first Canadian swimmer to win a medal in three consecutive Games. Masse also owns a bronze from the 100 backstroke at Rio 2016, and silver from the 100 and 200 events from Tokyo in 2021. Her performance Friday earned Canada its fifth swimming medal in Paris.
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HURDLES AHEAD
Damian Warner has his work cut out for him to repeat as an Olympic gold medallist. Warner is fourth in the decathlon through five of 10 events, 89 points behind leader Leo Neugebauer of Germany through Day 1. The 34-year-old from London, Ont., plans to start Day 2 by running away with the 110-metre hurdles, his best event, and carrying that momentum. Warner says “it’s a lot easier to be the chaser than be the person in the front.”
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 2, 2024.
Credit: A look at five things to know from Friday at the 2024 Paris Olympics
