Simone Biles Becomes Most Decorated American Gymnast
Despite the tight competition, Simone Biles came out on top once again winning gold in the Women’s Individual All-Around. This event requires participants to show what they’ve got and stick the landing on vault, uneven bars, beam, and floor. Biles shared the podium with USA teammate Suni Lee, who won bronze, and Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade.
Biles now has eight Olympic medals, including five gold, surpassing the legendary Shannon Miller to become the most decorated U.S. Olympic gymnast in history. She is officially the GOAT.
GB’s Lola Anderson Wins Gold With a Tear-Jerking Story
Get your tissues ready for this one. When Lola Anderson was 14 years old, she was watching the London Olympics and became overwhelmingly inspired by the Great Britain rowing team. She ran to her diary to write an entry, proclaiming that she would one day win an Olympic rowing medal. Immediately embarrassed, she ripped out the page and threw it out. Little did she know, her dad found the note and kept it. A few months before he passed away from cancer, Anderson’s dad gave her the note back to inspire her to go for her dreams. And yesterday, not only did she reach the Olympics, but she and her team won gold medals. Chills!
USA Fencing Takes Home First Ever Gold in Team Foil
Lee Kiefer, who has been fencing since she was 7, took a break from medical school to come to the Olympics, two feats in and of themselves. On Sunday, she won gold in the individual foil. Yesterday, she and her teammates, individual silver medalist Lauren Scruggs (the first Black woman and first Black out-lesbian to win a medal in the individual event!), Jacqueline Dubrovich, and Maia Weintraub, won America’s first-ever gold medal in this event. The US now has four fencing medals at the Paris Olympics and two gold medals in fencing at the same Olympics for the first time.
Algerian Boxer Imane Khelif Sparks Controversy, Accused of Being Secretly Trans
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif faced off against Italy’s Angela Carini yesterday, but the fight only lasted 46 seconds. Khelif landed a few punches square in Carini’s face, who immediately stopped the fight and fell to the floor in tears, saying she had “extreme pain” in her nose. Carini refused to shake Khelif’s hand after forfeiting and immediately went on to accuse her of being secretly trans. This was fueled by a report that Khelif previously failed an “unspecified gender eligibility test” and no other evidence. The International Olympic Committee released a statement condemning the backlash, and Khelif will continue on to the next round.
USA Women’s Basketball Beats Belgium on Especially Emotional Day for Brittney Griner
USA Women’s Basketball is moving on to the knockout round after defeating Belgium 87-74, but that wasn’t the only big win for the day. Brittney Griner told reporters that she was “head over heels” after hearing about the release of Russian-detained Americans Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, and Alsu Kurmasheva, who were freed from Russia in a prisoner swap. “Any day that Americans come home, that’s a win,” she said.
