Lakshya Sen defeated Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien-Chen in a thrilling match at the Paris Olympics. The Indian shuttler won the match after a 75-minute battle, clinching the match 19-21, 21-15, 21-12. Chou took an early lead, but Sen fought back to level the score. The match was a roller-coaster, with both players exchanging points in intense rallies. Sen started the second game strong, taking a 4-1 lead with brilliant placement and cross-court smashes.
Chou managed to draw level at 13-13, but Sen’s consistent play and effective net game allowed him to win the second game 21-15, setting up a decider. In the final game, Chou took an early lead, but Sen quickly stormed back to draw level at 2-2. Both players displayed incredible athleticism and determination, with the score tied multiple times.
Olympic 2024
Lakshya Sen, an Indian badminton player, secured his place in the Olympic semi-finals with a final score of 21-12, becoming the first Indian male badminton player to reach the finals. Sen’s net play and powerful smashes helped him lead 9-4, despite visible fatigue. He capitalized on Chou’s errors to extend his advantage to 19-12. Sen’s victory marks a historic achievement in badminton history.
World Championship bronze medallist Lakshya Sen upset world No. 4 Jonatan Christie in his men’s singles group. On his Olympic debut, he also defeated HS Prannoy, another Indian, in the round of 16.
Sen will next play the victor of the quarterfinal match in the Paris 2024 Olympics between 10th-seeded Loh Kean Yew of Singapore and reigning champion Victor Axelsen of Denmark.
Swimmer Leon Marchand wins his fourth gold medal
Léon Marchand won his fourth swimming gold at the Paris Olympics, securing a runaway victory in the 200-meter individual medley. The 22-year-old French star set an Olympic record of 1 minute, 54.06 seconds, just missing Ryan Lochte’s 13-year-old world mark. Marchand’s victory marks him as one of the biggest stars of the Summer Games in France, having previously won the 400 IM, 200 butterly, and 200 backstroke at La Defense Arena.
He led from the start of the 200m medley, becoming the first swimmer since Phelps to win four individual golds at one Games. Duncan Scott, 27, took silver for the sixth time in his career and an eighth Olympic medal overall. Ben Proud, another Englishman, ended his long wait for an Olympic medal by claiming silver in the 50m freestyle. At his third Olympics, Proud was second, just 0.05 seconds behind Australia’s Cam McEvoy in the one-length sprint.
Swimming legend Michael Phelps, coached by Bob Bowman, has been compared to three other Olympic swimmers: Mark Spitz, Kristen Otto, and Phelps himself. Marchand, seen as the successor to Phelps, has won four or more individual swimming medals at an Olympics. His races have been highly sought-after, with the atmospheres being the loudest since an Antoine Dupont-inspired rugby sevens team won gold.
Marchand, who was praised by the BBC for his performance, said the crowd was “crazy” and enjoyed every moment. The temporary swimming venue, usually hosting rugby union team Racing 92, was filled with ear-splitting support. Marchand missed out on Ryan Lochte’s world record by 0.06 seconds and received a thumbs-up from Macron, who had just leapt from his seat in celebration.
Marchand’s time of one minute 54.06 seconds was an Olympic record, breaking Phelps’ mark in 2008, and a third in his past three finals.
“The guy is a machine,” said BBC commentator and former Olympian Andy Jameson. Rebecca Adlington, 2008 double Olympic champion for Team GB, said: “After doing two in one night this probably felt at ease. It was fantastic.
Team GB has secured three additional golds and is set to start on a fast track on Friday
Team GB has secured nine gold medals at the Olympics, building on seven medals, including three golds, won on Friday in Paris. Bryony Page, Britain’s first Olympic trampoline champion, and the women’s lightweight double sculls and showjumping team were among the top performers. A fourth medal in the aquatics centre was the best-ever haul for British divers at an Olympic Games. Ben Proud in the 50m freestyle and Duncan Scott in the 200m medley won silver medals in the men’s four in rowing and pool.
Tommy Fleetwood, a British golfer, shot a 64 in the men’s competition, sharing the lead with two-time major winner Xander Schauffele and Japanese star Hideki Matsuyama. Josh Kerr’s performance in the track and field was also impressive, as he both stormed through to the Olympic 1500m semi-final and brushed off a jibe from his Norwegian rival, Jakob Ingebrigtsen.
British cyclist, Ryan Kerr, has secured a spot in the semis of the World Championships after finishing fastest in the first of three heats. Kerr dismissed suggestions that he did not perform enough to be considered a rival. He expressed his desire to be defined in his career at the end of the competition, aiming for medals, fast times, and fun battles. He believes he will be remembered for something slightly different than just medals and fast times.
European champion Dina Asher-Smith, Daryll Neita, and Imani-Lara Lansiquot made it through to Saturday’s semi-finals of the women’s 100m. Asher-Smith expressed her excitement at the unusual atmosphere in Tokyo, where many British fans filled the stadium, bringing an energy and atmosphere that the athletes can feel and feed off.
The British team’s impressive performance in Paris after seven days of competition is an improvement on their performance in Tokyo or Rio, putting them on a trajectory for a record haul that could match the upper end of UK Sport’s forecast of 70 medals.
The 33-year-old, who overcame Lost Move Syndrome, offered insight into the agonies and triumphs of top-level sport. She had to change her plan due to ankle issues and a twinge in her neck, which led to her doubting herself. However, she managed to perform a comfortable three triple routine, which has put her on track for a record haul of 70 medals.
Page, a former Olympic silver medallist, added a gold to her Olympic collection by beating Belarus’s Viyaleta Bardzilouskaya. She expressed her desire to join Cirque du Soleil as an acrobat and may be tempted to make an Olympic comeback in four years. Page expressed shock, surprise, and overwhelming emotion upon winning a silver medal, expressing sadness that her Olympic career is over.
Emily Craig and Imogen Grant’s redemption in the women’s lightweight double sculls event was a result of their disappointment in Tokyo, where they were denied a medal by 0.01 seconds. Grant attributed their success to their hard work and improved performance, stating that it was an inevitability to the race. Romania won silver, a second behind Team GB’s time of 6min 47.06sec, while Greece finished third. Craig had mounted a photo of the medal-finish on her wall as inspiration.
The British showjumping team won gold at the Olympic Games in Paris, thanks to a successful performance by Scott Brash, Ben Maher, and Harry Charles, who performed with a strapped arm after a fracture four weeks ago. France finished third, with France finishing in third.
Jack Laugher and Anthony Harding won a bronze medal in the men’s 3m springboard synchronised final, making Paris the most successful Games for the diving team so far. Laugher and Harding acknowledged the pressure they faced after their early successes, including a bronze for his girlfriend Lois Toulson in the synchronised 10m platform.
Kye Whyte, Britain’s silver medallist in the BMX in Tokyo, left the semi-finals on a stretcher after a crash and was taken to the hospital. Meanwhile, the Hungarian Boxing Association protested to the International Olympic Committee over its decision to allow Algerian fighter Imane Khelif to compete at Paris 2024.
Italy’s Angela Carini abandoned her bout against Khelif, who failed a gender eligibility test run by the International Boxing Association (IBA) at the 2023 world championships, citing health reasons. Chinese Taipei fighter Lin Yu-ting, a second boxer to fail a gender test run by the IBA and permitted to fight in Paris, also outpointed her opponent.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has ruled that Khelif, a woman born, registered, and boxed as a female, is not the subject of a man-woman fight, despite some confusion about the scientific basis of the decision.
