A look at five things to know from Wednesday at the 2024 Paris Olympics

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This article was published 31/07/2024 (453 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

PARIS – From a soccer team that just won’t quit to the end of a dry spell in men’s swimming, here are five things to know from Wednesday at the 2024 Paris Games:

TOO LEGIT TO QUIT

When Canada’s women’s soccer team was stripped of six points by FIFA for its involvement in a drone spying scandal, the players rallied around a cry of “take away six (points), we go get nine.” After come-from-behind 2-1 wins over New Zealand and host France, Canada edged Colombia 1-0 on Wednesday to advance. Thanks to a second-half goal by Vanessa Gilles — also the stoppage time hero against France — Canada has earned a Saturday quarterfinal date with Germany. The eighth-ranked Canadian squad is aiming to continue its medal streak after landing on the podium at the last three Games. Before taking home the gold in Tokyo, Canada won bronze in both the 2012 and 2016 Olympics.

BUTTERFLY BRONZE FOR KHARUN

Ilya Kharun of Montreal became the first Canadian man to win an Olympic swim medal since 2012 when he finished third in Wednesday’s 200-metre butterfly final. Leon Marchand of France won the gold in an Olympic record time of one minute 51.21 seconds, finishing ahead of Hungary’s Kristóf Milák (1:51.75) and Kharun. The 19-year-old Montreal native, who grew up in Las Vegas, finished in a Canadian record time of 1:52.80. Marchand, who won gold in 400 individual medley on Sunday, also won the 200 breaststroke on Wednesday.

A FEAT ON CLAY

His head-to-head record before Wednesday’s singles showdown against Russian Daniil Medevev was 0-7. But Felix Auger-Aliassime reminded anyone who would listen that all those setbacks came on hard courts, whereas the Olympics are played on clay at Roland-Garros. The 13th-seeded Montreal native upset the fourth-seeded Medevev 6-3, 7-6 (5) to become the first-ever Canadian to reach the quarterfinals at an Olympic Games. He is also the last Canadian standing in the men’s and women’s singles in Paris. Auger-Aliassime then joined forces with doubles ace Gabriela Dabrowski of Ottawa to defeat the third-seeded American duo of Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz 7-6, 3-6 (10-8), earning a berth in the mixed doubles semifinal.

HOOPS THEY DID IT AGAIN

With Michelle Plouffe of Edmonton and Paige Crozon of Humboldt, Sask., each scoring seven points, Canada improved to 2-0 in women’s 3×3 basketball with a 21-11 upset victory over top-ranked China on Wednesday. Katherine Plouffe — Michelle’s sister — added five points. Kacie Bosch of Lethbridge, Alta., is also on the Canada team that will play Germany on Thursday in round-robin action.

A BOUT OF BAD TIMING

Canadian boxer Tammara Thibeault, considered a medal favourite in Paris, was eliminated in the Round of 16 in the women’s 75-kilogram weight class on Wednesday. The 27-year-old Thibeault of Shawinigan, Quebec, was on a 25-match winning streak before she was defeated by Cindy Ngamba of the EOC Refugee Team. Ngamba won by a score of 3-2 from the five judges. Thibeault came to Paris as the reigning world champion — a title won in 2022 before several nations boycotted the 2023 world championships to protest against the International Boxing Association.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 31, 2024.