China won their first gold medal of the Paris Olympics on Saturday amidst the rainy conditions that carried over from the opening ceremony, affecting the first full day of competition.
In a closely contested final of the mixed-team 10-meter air rifle event, teenagers Sheng Lihao and Huang Yuting outscored South Korea’s Keum Ji-hyeon and Park Ha-jun, 16-12, with Kazakhstan securing the bronze.
The persistent rain caused the postponement of the men’s street skateboarding competition at Place de la Concorde until Monday. The downpours also delayed the opening rounds of tennis at Roland Garros, with play on the 10 uncovered courts not starting until 13:30 local time (1130 GMT).
Friday night’s opening ceremony, despite the torrential rain, received positive reviews. Around 7,000 athletes paraded along the River Seine in an array of boats, culminating in a spectacular light show at the Eiffel Tower and a performance by Celine Dion. France’s center-right daily, Le Figaro, described the ceremony as “full of surprises but often disjointed.” However, the International Olympic Committee had to apologize for mistakenly introducing South Korea’s athletes as North Korean.
Swimming, badminton, rowing, cycling, hockey, and basketball commenced on Saturday, along with the surfing competition taking place nearly 16,000 kilometers away on the French Pacific island of Tahiti. The women’s 400m freestyle swimming event is highly anticipated, featuring three world record holders. Australia’s defending champion Ariarne Titmus is the favorite, with US rival Katie Ledecky and Canadian sensation Summer McIntosh also in contention. Additional gold medals will be awarded in the men’s 400m freestyle and the men’s and women’s 4x100m freestyle relays.
Reigning French Open champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz are top attractions on the clay courts of Roland Garros, weather permitting. Swiatek faces Romania’s Irina-Camelia Begu, while Alcaraz is set to play against Lebanese world number 275 Hady Habib. The men’s doubles event will feature Alcaraz teaming up with 14-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal.
In the shooting events, Chinese shooters Huang Yuting and Sheng Lihao are favorites for the first gold of the Games, following their dominant victory at last year’s world championships in Baku. The diving pool will see medals awarded in the women’s synchronized 3m springboard final, with Chinese pair Chang Yani and Chen Yiwen expected to win gold.
Cycling medals will be decided with the men’s and women’s individual time trials on a challenging 32.4-kilometer course. French rugby fans will watch eagerly at Stade de France as Antoine Dupont leads the host nation in the rugby sevens semi-finals against South Africa, aiming for a gold medal match against either Fiji or Australia.
