Tag: Olympics

Why didn’t Christian Coleman compete at the Tokyo Olympics? A look back at his suspension

A failed drug test means 2024 may be Coleman’s only shot at Olympic glory.

Christian Coleman was world champion in the 100 meters in 2019. But his window for Olympic gold in the event appears to have shut.

Coleman failed to qualify as an individual sprinter at this year’s United States Olympic Trials, finishing fourth in both the 100m and 200m races to fall agonizingly short of making it to Paris on his own. He will, however, have a chance to earn his first medal as part of the 4 x 100m relay this summer.

So why didn’t Coleman, who would have been one of the favorites among male sprinters, compete in Tokyo during the 2020 Games? It involves missed drug tests and a telltale Chipotle receipt.

Coleman served a two-year ban during the 2020 Summer Olympics

Coleman had run one of the fastest 100m sprints in history in 2019 and was primed to enter a Usain Bolt-less field as the men’s favorite. However, a missed drug test in December 2019 — after missing two others earlier in the year — put him in the crosshairs of an Olympic tribunal. Coleman explained he’d been Christmas shopping but had returned home within the hour required of drug testers to wait for him.

This argument was entirely dismissed by those judges. He was done, at least in part, by a circumstantial burrito:

“Shopping receipts show that the athlete was shopping at least from 7:13 pm, also purchased a Chipotle at 7:13 pm and finally purchased 16 items from a Walmart Super Center at 8:22 pm. The athlete’s evidence was that he returned home briefly some time between 8 and 8:10 pm, ate his Chipotle while watching the kick-off and then went out again. We do not accept the athlete’s evidence.

“It would have been simply impossible for him to purchase a chipotle at 7:53 pm [the store being five to nine minutes from his residence], drive home, park the car, go into his residence, eat the chipotle, then watch the kick-off of the football game which only started at 8:15 pm, and thereafter go out again in his car, drive to the store and pick up 16 items at the Walmart Supercenter so as to be able to pay for them by 8:22 pm.”

That missed test led to a two-year ban that lasted into 2022 — nine months after the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics finally took place in Tokyo in 2021. Coleman’s world record time in 2019, 9.76 seconds, would have been enough to win gold that night.

Instead, he’ll have to hope the 4 x 100m relay breaks his way in what could be the 28-year-old’s final Olympics.

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Hayes doing ‘fantastic job tactically and mentally,’ Lloyd gushes

The USWNT legend was full of praise for the new head coach

It’s still early in the Emma Hayes era, but Carli Lloyd clearly likes what she sees so far.

Hayes led the U.S. women’s national team to a 2-1 win over Australia on Wednesday, completing a perfect Olympic group stage that saw the team secure wins over Zambia, Germany and the Matildas by a combined score of 9-2.

It’s been a refreshing return to form for the USWNT, which struggled at the World Cup last summer en route to a program-worst last-16 elimination.

Hayes only took over as U.S. head coach in May, but has already stamped her authority on the team — particularly in a signature 4-1 win over world power Germany that was undoubtedly the team’s best major-tournament result since the 2019 World Cup.

Lloyd, who was part of that World Cup-winning side in addition to the 2015 champions, was full of praise for the team’s new boss in a post on X.

“It’s refreshing to see this group playing well! Emma doing a fantastic job tactically and mentally,” Lloyd said.

“Emma’s demeanor is calm and confident and that’s contagious. She believes in these players and they feel that. Players are confident and hungry again and no player is bigger than the team.”

The USWNT is now set for a major test in the quarterfinal, with Japan awaiting in a Saturday showdown in Paris.

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Team USA Olympic golf team: Meet the men and women competing in Paris 2024

Xander Schauffele and Nelly Korda are back to defend their 2021 gold medals and leads Team USA.

Golfers will tee off at the Summer Olympics in Paris, France on Thursday when the men’s individual competition begins. The men’s final wraps up on Sunday, Aug. 4, and the women’s competition begins the next day and ends on Saturday, Aug. 10.

In all, golf at the Olympics will feature 60 competitors from 38 different countries.

Golf has a bit of a weird history at the Olympics. It debuted in the second-ever Summer Games in 1900, was played again in 1904, and then went on a long hiatus and didn’t return again until 2016.

In men’s play, the U.S. has won gold twice, with Charles Sands taking the top prize in 1900 and then Xander Schauffele winning in Tokyo in 2021. The same is true for the women, where Margaret Abbott won in 1900, and Nelly Korda captured gold in 2021.

This year, there are four men and three women who will compete for Team USA on the greens at the Summer Games. Let’s meet them.

Wyndham Clark

PARIS, FRANCE – JULY 31: Wyndham Clark of Team United States tees off on the 14th hole during a practice round on day five of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Le Golf National on July 31, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
  • Age: 30
  • From: Denver, Colorado
  • Last win: Clark finished 17-under at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Feb. 4 to beat Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg by a stroke. Clark also won the 2023 U.S. Open.
  • Olympic history: This is Clark’s first appearance in the Olympics.

Nelly Korda

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, FRANCE – JULY 14: Nelly Korda of the United States plays her second shot on the 10th hole during the final round of the Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club on July 14, 2024 in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
  • Age: 26
  • From: Bradenton, Florida
  • Last win: Korda finished 14-under to win the Mizuho Americas Open on May 19. A month before, she won the Chevron Championship, an LPGA Major. In all, Korda has six LPGA Tour victories this year. Simply put, she’s one of the best golfers in the world right now.
  • Olympic history: She finished 17-under to beat Japan’s Mone Inami in the 2021 Summer Games.

Collin Morikawa

Jun 22, 2024; Cromwell, Connecticut, USA; Collin Morikawa tees off on the third hole during the third round of the Travelers Championship golf tournament at TPC River Highlands. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
  • Age: 27
  • From: La Canada, California
  • Last win: Morikawa finished 14-under to win the Zozo Championship by six strokes on Oct. 22, 2023. He won the PGA Championship in 2020 and the British Open in 2021. Morikawa hasn’t had the best luck in 2024 but placed in the top five at the Masters and PGA Championship, and in the top 20 in the other two majors.
  • Olympic history: Morikawa finished tied for fourth at the 2021 games.

Lilia Vu

Jul 28, 2024; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Lilia Vu lines up her putt on the 17th green during the final round of the CPKC Women’s Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
  • Age: 26
  • From: Fountain Valley, California
  • Last win: Vu won the Maijer LPGA Classic on June 16 in a playoff over Grace Kim and Lexi Thompson. In 2023, she won two majors, taking the British Open and the Chevron Championship.
  • Olympic history: This is Vu’s first appearance in the Olympics.

Xander Schauffele

Jul 21, 2024; Ayrshire, SCT; Xander Schauffele celebrates with Claret Jug after winning the Open Championship golf tournament at Royal Troon. Mandatory Credit: Jack Gruber-USA TODAY Sports

Rose Zhang

CALGARY, ALBERTA – JULY 28: Rose Zhang of the United States acknowledges the crowd on the 15th green during the final round of the CPKC Women’s Open at Earl Grey Golf Club on July 28, 2024 in Calgary, Alberta. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
  • Age: 21
  • From: Irvine, California
  • Last win: Back in May, Zhang won the Cognizant Founders Cup, finishing 24-under to beat Sweden’s Madelene Sagstrom by two strokes. In 2023, she won her LPGA Tour debut less than two weeks after winning a national title for Stanford.
  • Olympic history: This is Zhang’s first Olympic appearance.

Scottie Scheffler

Jul 17, 2024; Ayrshire, SCT; Scottie Scheffler, the number one ranked golfer in the world and 2022 and 2024 Master Tournament champion on the 12th green during practice rounds at the Open Championship golf tournament at Royal Troon. Mandatory Credit: Jack Gruber-USA TODAY Sports

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Photos: Scenes from the first tee in the opening round of the 2024 Olympic men’s golf competition

The Olympic men’s golf competition is officially underway.

The 2024 Olympic men’s golf competition is underway.

France’s Victor Perez struck the opening tee shot Thursday morning at Le Golf National in Paris to kick off the tournament, which features 60 players from across the globe battling it out for a gold medal over four rounds of stroke play. And what a sight it was at the first tee.

Thousands of spectators packed the area surrounding the tee and first fairway to watch the golf competition get underway Thursday morning. Even after overnight storms in Paris, Le Golf National was looking spectacular, and fans showed out early to support.

Thursday’s crowds were easily the largest since golf returned to the Olympics in 2016. The sport isn’t as big in Rio de Janeiro, and fans weren’t allowed in Tokyo. Neither of those is an issue in France.

Olympics: Photos | Yardage book

Here’s a look at the best photos from the scenes at the first tee during the 2024 Olympic men’s golf competition.

Watch: Steph Curry dishes smooth lob to Jayson Tatum for dunk vs. South Sudan

The Warriors point guard linked up with Jayson Tatum at the rim for a must-see highlight in the Olympics.

While he struggled to find the bottom of the rim against South Sudan on Wednesday in Lille, Stephen Curry managed to his Olympic highlight reel with a smooth pass.

With Team USA holding an already large lead over South Sudan in the third quarter, Anthony Davis came up with a slick steal on a fast break. Davis quickly dished the ball over to Curry, who immediately found Tatum at the rim. Curry lofted an underhand lob to a wide-open Tatum for an emphatic dunk.

Via @courtsideheat on Twitter:

Curry finished with only three points on 1-of-9 shooting from the field and 0-of-6 shooting from deep. Curry added four assist in 21 minutes during Team USA’s 103-86 win. With their win against South Sudan, Team USA has already punched a ticket to the quarterfinals with one game left in the group stage against Puerto Rico.

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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Olympics: Steph Curry struggles during Team USA’s 103-86 win vs. South Sudan

Steph Curry finished with three points on 1-of-9 shooting during Team USA’s 103-86 win over South Sudan.

During their pre-Olympic showcase series, Team USA’s toughest test came against South Sudan. South Sudan led throughout the game and pushed Team USA down to the wire in a competitive and tight contest.

On Wednesday, the pair met for the second time in the group stage of the Olympic games in Paris. While Team USA was able to handle business and cruise to their second win in the Olympics, Steph Curry uncharacteristically struggled to shoot the ball against South Sudan on Wednesday.

Curry finished with only 3 points on 1-of-9 shooting from the field. Curry went ice-cold from beyond the arc, shooting 0-of-6 from deep in 21 minutes against South Sudan. Curry was able to add a highlight-worthy lob to the rim for a Jayson Tatum dunk.

Via @NBA on Twitter:

Bam Adebayo led Team USA with 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the floor with seven boards in 21 minutes off the bench. Devin Booker, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards and Derrick White all added double-figure scoring numbers in Team USA’s 103-86 win on Wednesday.

With their ticket already punched to the quarterfinals with back-to-back wins, Team USA will wrap up the group stage on Saturday at 8:15 a.m. PT against Jose Alvarado and Puerto Rico.

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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Albert: USWNT coach Hayes has offered ‘tough love’ since anti-LGBTQ+ social media controversy

Albert’s impressive strike came even as questions remain over her place in the USWNT Olympic squad

The U.S. women’s national team’s 2-1 win over Australia caught the eye for many reasons, not least of which was an impressive goal from the team’s most scrutinized player.

The USWNT’s successful group-stage performance ended with a third straight win courtesy of a 77th-minute laser from midfielder Korbin Albert. That is to say, a player who has been under fire for four months over homophobic and transphobic social media posts is now making headlines for becoming a USWNT goalscorer in a major tournament.

In post-game quotes published by ESPN and the Washington Post, Albert admitted that USWNT head coach Emma Hayes has adopted a “tough love” approach since deciding to stick with the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder amid calls for her to be dropped.

“It’s tough love sometimes,” said Albert of Hayes. “It’s really nice just to have her here and teaching me and guiding me in every way, personally and on the soccer field.”

Albert didn’t directly discuss her social media posts or the aftermath, in keeping with statements from Hayes that the matter would remain internal.

Still, a substantial segment of the USWNT fanbase has criticized U.S. Soccer and Hayes for taking Albert to the Olympics despite the controversy. USWNT greats like Megan Rapinoe (whose career-ending injury was mocked in a post Albert liked on Instagram), Sam Mewis, and Christen Press, have been critical of the 20-year-old, and of the lack of public-facing information about what Albert is doing to repair the damage done.

Hayes: Albert ‘has had to do a fair bit of growing up’

In a post-game press conference, Hayes expanded on the matter, though the specifics of Albert’s attempts to progress towards more inclusive views remained an in-house secret.

“We all know she’s been through a lot with her actions and she’s someone who is truly sorry for what she’s done,” said Hayes. “She’s a really inclusive person and she’s really thoughtful and kind, and she has had to do a fair bit of growing up.

“I’m a mother and my instinct is to protect, and I’m never ever going to change that, but I don’t tolerate [Albert’s social media activity], and we want an environment where people can feel they can be [themselves].”

Albert may be in line for a bigger role in the USWNT’s upcoming Olympic quarterfinal against Japan. Defensive midfielder Sam Coffey will be suspended for Saturday’s knockout match due to yellow-card accumulation.

With Emily Sonnett possibly in line to continue at center back due to Tierna Davidson’s injury, Albert appears to be the most likely player to step into the midfield spot vacated by Coffey.

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Iga Swiatek denied Danielle Collins’ accusation of an insincere congratulations after their tense Olympics tennis match

It was a VERY tense day between Iga Swiatek and Danielle Collins in Paris.

In the heat of high-level Olympic tennis, emotions are bound to run wild. What happened between world No. 1, Poland’s Iga Swiatek, and the USA’s Danielle Collins during the women’s singles quarterfinals on Wednesday in Paris is no exception.

It’s practically an inevitability of competition.

READ MORE: Poor officiating can’t keep derailing Coco Gauff’s matches.

Tensions between the two tennis stars seemingly started during a scary moment in the final set. When Collins volleyed a ball back from center court that accidentally hit Swiatek in the ribs, the Polish athlete was staggered for a moment.

Fortunately for Swiatek, after Collins and a match official checked on her, she was apparently OK enough to continue playing:

Later, lip-readers thought Collins quietly called out Swiatek for seemingly trying to delay her while she was serving:

Collins would later suffer an apparent abdominal injury, ostensibly from dehydration resulting from temperatures that reached the upper 90s (Fahrenheit) in Paris on Wednesday. The ailment would eventually force Collins to retire from the match, conceding defeat to Swiatek, with the Polish player leading the third set 4-1 at the time.

When Collins and Swiatek greeted each other at the end of the match, tennis fans thought their handshake seemed a little more heated than you’d expect for a customary goodbye. Their assumptions proved correct.

According to Christopher Clarey, Collins thought Swiatek was showing off “fakeness” by being “insincere” about well-wishes for her injury.

In response, Swiatek reportedly denied Collins’ accusation, asserting she’s never done anything “nasty” to the American player while maintaining she was trying to congratulate Collins on her career, who is officially retiring from tennis at the end of this current season with the aim of starting a family.

More from Poland’s Interia Sport (translated):

“Well, I won’t argue about it [Collins’ insincere accusation] because I’ve never done anything nasty to her [Collins],” Swiatek said. “I rather wanted to congratulate her on her successful career because we all know that this is her last year on tour … Honestly, I don’t know what she meant because we didn’t even have any interactions that could have caused her to say that to me.”

Phew. I suppose all of this chaos is par for the course for elite competitors playing for their countries, but what a whirlwind to unpack. If there is still some lingering animosity between Swiatek and Collins after this, here’s hoping they ensure it’s all water under the bridge in the near future.

Team USA women’s basketball slow start to Olympic 3×3 play deserves panic from American hoops fans

Team USA is getting COOKED.

The Team USA women’s basketball 3×3 team might be in trouble.

To be fair, I’m not sure the expectation was that this roster could win gold. That’s no slight to anyone on the team, but given Cameron Brink’s injury  (Plus Rhyne Howard’s ankle troubles ahead of the Paris Games) and the lack of time spent playing together as a unit, it was kind of expected. But, what wasn’t expected is how rough Team USA has looked defensively.

It started in their opening game of pool play against Germany, and then Las Vegas Aces guard Tiffany Hayes and Azerbaijan’s length and quickness seemingly took them by surprise during Game 2. The U.S. let Hayes practically waltz to an open game-sealing basket and then had to foul for any hope of getting the ball back. But by then, it was too late.

I’m going to say the quiet parts out loud: Team USA may not make it out of pool play. Things are unwell.

Given the circumstances, the panicked tweets from hoops fans that are starting to flood social media are actually quite level-headed.

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Should Steve Kerr prioritize Jayson Tatum’s happiness?

Steve Kerr benched Jayson Tatum for Team USA’s game against Serbia, should he focus on keeping his players happy?

Jayson Tatum was benched for Team USA’s game against Serbia in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Kerr received significant criticism for his decision to sit as one of the top 10 players in the world. The veteran coach has since confirmed that the Boston Celtics star will participate in Team USA’s game against South Sudan on Wednesday, July 31.

During a recent episode of ESPN’s NBA Today, the hosts discussed whether Kerr should begin focusing on keeping Tatum and the other stars on Team USA’s roster happy or if his focus should be solely on challenging for a gold medal at the end of the tournament. Team USA is looking to bounce back from a fourth-placed finish at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

Kerr faces a tough balancing act between keeping all of his star talent happy and ensuring he is putting the best rotation on the floor. Nevertheless, Tatum’s exclusion rightly caused a stir with the wider basketball fanbase.

You can watch the full discussion by clicking on the embedded video above.

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