XXXIII Olympic Summer Games, Paris 2024 (Day 13)

Medals leaders:

1. United States 27 gold, 35 silver, 32 bronze (94 total)

2. China 25, 23, 17 (65)

3. Australia 18, 12, 11 (41)

4. France 13, 17, 21 (51)

5. Great Britain 12, 17, 20 (49)

6. South Korea 12, 8, 7 (27)

7. Japan 12, 6, 13 (31)

8. Italy 9, 10, 8 (27)

9. Netherlands 9, 5, 6 (20)

10. Germany 8, 5, 5 (18)

Previous reports:

-- I Olympic Summer Games, Athens 1896

-- XXX Olympic Summer Games, London 2012 

-- XXXI Olympic Summer Games, Rio 2016 

-- XXXII Olympic Summer Games, Tokyo 2020

-- XXXIII Olympic Summer Games, Paris 2024 (Day -2-Day 8)

-- XXXIII Olympic Summer Games, Paris 2024 (Day 9)

-- XXXIII Olympic Summer Games, Paris 2024 (Day 10)
-- XXXIII Olympic Summer Games, Paris 2024 (Day 11)

-- XXXIII Olympic Summer Games, Paris 2024 (Day 12)

XXXIII Olympic Summer Games, Paris 2024 (Day 10)

Paris 2024 features 329 events, and medals had been awarded in 162 of them through Sunday. So, we’re pretty much halfway home:

1. United States 19 gold, 26 silver, 26 bronze (71 total)
2. China 19, 15, 11 (45)
3. France 12, 14, 18 (44)
4. Australia 12, 11, 8 (31)
5. Great Britain 10, 12, 15 (37)
6. South Korea 10, 7, 7 (24)
7. Japan 9, 5, 10 (24)
8. Italy 7, 10, 5 (22)
9. Netherlands 6, 5, 4 (15)
10. Germany 5, 5, 2 (12)
11. Canada 5, 4, 8 (17)
12. Hungary 3, 3, 2 (8)
13. Romania 3, 3, 1 (7)
14. Ireland 3, 0, 3 (6)
15. New Zealand 2, 4, 1 (7)
16. Sweden 2, 3, 2 (7)
17. Ukraine 2, 1, 3 (6)
18. Croatia 2, 1, 1 (4)
19. Belgium 2, 0, 3 (5)
20. Hong Kong 2, 0, 2 (4)
T21. Azerbaijan 2, 0, 0 (2)
T21. Philippines 2, 0, 0 (2)
T21. Serbia 2, 0, 0, 2)
24. Brazil 1, 4, 5 (10)
T25. Israel 1, 4, 1 (6)
T25. Individual Neutral Athletes 1, 3, 0 (4)
26. Spain 1, 2, 5 (8)
27. Georgia 1, 2, 1 (4)
28. Switzerland 1, 1, 4 (6)
T29. Kazakhstan 1, 1, 2 (4)
T29. South Africa 1, 1, 2 (4)
T31. Taiwan 1, 0, 2 (3)
T31. Uzbekistan 1, 0, 2 (3)
T33. Czech Republic 1, 0, 1 (2)
T33. Guatemala 1, 0, 1 (2)
T35. Algeria 1, 0, 0 (1)
T35. Argentina 1, 0, 0 (1)
T35. Chile 1, 0, 0 (1)
T35. Dominica 1, 0, 0 (1)
T35. Ecuador 1, 0, 0 (1)
T35. Norway 1, 0, 0 (1)
T35. Saint Lucia 1, 0, 0 (1)
T35. Slovenia 1, 0, 0 (1)
T35. Uganda 1, 0, 0 (1)
T44. Jamaica 0, 2, 1 (3)
T44. Mexico 0, 2, 1 (3)
T44. North Korea 0, 2, 1 (3)
47. Greece 0, 1, 4 (5)
48. Poland 0, 1, 3 (4)
T49. Kosovo 0, 1, 1 (2)
T49. Turkey 0, 1, 1 (2)
T51. Armenia 0, 1, 0 (1)
T51. Denmark 0, 1, 0 (1)
T51. Ethiopia 0, 1, 0 (1)
T51. Fiji 0, 1, 0 (1)
T51. Mongolia 0, 1, 0 (1)
T51. Tunisia 0, 1, 0 (1)
T57. India 0, 0, 3 (3)
T57. Tajikistan 0, 0, 3 (3)
T59. Dominican Republic 0, 0, 2 (2)
T59. Moldova 0, 0, 2 (2)
T61. Austria 0, 0, 1 (1)
T61. Cape Verde 0, 0, 1 (1)
T61. Cuba 0, 0, 1 (1)
T61. Egypt 0, 0, 1 (1)
T61. Grenada 0, 0, 1 (1)
T61. Indonesia 0, 0, 1 (1)
T61. Lithuania 0, 0, 1 (1)
T61. Malaysia 0, 0, 1 (1)
T61. Portugal 0, 0, 1 (1)
T61. Slovakia 0, 0, 1 (1)

Previous reports:

-- I Olympic Summer Games, Athens 1896

-- XXX Olympic Summer Games, London 2012 

-- XXXI Olympic Summer Games, Rio 2016 

-- XXXII Olympic Summer Games, Tokyo 2020

-- XXXIII Olympic Summer Games, Paris 2024 (Day -2-Day 8)

-- XXXIII Olympic Summer Games, Paris 2024 (Day 9)

XXXI Olympic Summer Games, Rio 2016 (Day 16)

XXXI Olympic Summer Games, Rio 2016 (Day 9)

Team USA leads China, 17-15, in the third set of the last women's volleyball match of pool play in Brazil. Comments flow ...

XXXI Olympic Summer Games, Rio 2016 (Day 7)

Standings:

1. United States 16 gold medals, 12 silver 10 bronze (38 total)
2. China 11, 8, 12 (31)
3. Japan 7, 2, 13 (22)
4. Great Britain 6, 6, 6 (18)
5. Australia 5, 5, 6 (16)
6. South Korea 5, 3, 4 (12)
7. Germany 5, 3, 1 (9)
8. Hungary 5, 1, 1 (7)
10. Italy 3, 6, 4 (13)
11. France 3, 4, 5 (12)
12. Kazakhstan 2, 2, 3 (7)
13. Netherlands 2, 2, 2 (6)
14. Thailand 2, 1, 1 (4)
T15. Spain 2, 0, 1 (3)
T15. Switzerland 2, 0, 1 (3)
17. Croatia 2, 0, 0 (2)
18. New Zealand 1, 5, 0 (6)
19. Canada 1, 2, 5 (8)
20. Sweden 1, 2, 1 (4)
T21. Belgium 1, 1, 1 (3)
T21. Brazil 1, 1, 1 (3)
T21. Slovenia 1, 1, 1 (3)
T24. Colombia 1, 1, 0 (2)
T24. Slovakia 1, 1, 0 (2)
T24. Vietnam 1, 1, 0 (2)
T27. Poland 1, 0, 2 (3)
T27. Chinese Taipei 1, 0, 2 (3)
T29. Czech Republic 1, 0, 1 (2)
T29. Ethiopia 1, 0, 1 (2)_
T32. Argentina 1, 0, 0 (1)
T32. Fiji 1, 0, 0 (1)
T32. Kosovo 1, 0, 0 (1)
T32. Kuwait 1, 0, 0 (1)
T32. Romania 1, 0, 0 (1)
37. South Africa 0, 3, 1 (4)
38. North Korea 0, 2, 2 (4)
T39. Denmark 0, 2, 1 (3)
T39. Ukraine 0, 2, 1 (3)
T41. Azerbaijan 0, 2, 0 (2)
T41. Indonesia 0, 2, 0 (2)
T43. Georgia 0, 1, 1 (2)
T43. Lithuania 0, 1, 1 (2)
T45. Ireland 0, 1, 0 (1)
T45. Kenya 0, 1, 0 (1)
T45. Malaysia 0, 1, 0 (1)
T45. Mongolia 0, 1, 0 (1)
T45. Philippines 0, 1, 0 (1)
T45. Turkey 0, 1, 0 (1)
T51. Egypt 0, 0, 2 (2)
T51. Norway 0, 0, 2 (2)
T51. Uzbekistan 0, 0, 2 (2)
T54. Cuba 0, 0, 1 (1)
T54. Estonia 0, 0, 1 (1)
T54. Israel 0, 0, 1 (1)
T54. Kyrgyzstan  0, 0 1 (1)
T54. Portugal 0, 0, 1 (1)
T54. Tunisia 0, 0, 1 (1)
T54. United Arab Emirates 0, 0, 1 (1)

XXXI Olympic Summer Games, Rio 2016 (Day 6)

OK, here goes the golf tournament.

Standings:

United States 11 gold medals,11 silver, 10 bronze (32 total)
China 10, 5, 8 (23)
Japan 6, 1, 11 (18)
Australia 5, 2, 5 (12)
Hungary 5, 1, 1 (7)
South Korea 4, 2, 3 (9)
Italy 3, 6, 2 (11)
Great Britain 3, 3, 6 (12)
France 2, 3, 1 (6)
Kazakhstan 2, 2, 3 (7)
Thailand 2, 1, 1 (4)
Germany 1, 2, 1 (4)
Sweden 1, 2, 0 (3)
Netherlands 1, 1, 2 (4)
Belgium 1, 1, 1 (3)
Brazil 1, 1, 0 (2)
Colombia 1, 1, 0
Slovenia 1, 1, 0 (2)
Vietnam 1, 1, 0 (2)
Taipei 1, 0, 2 (3)
Spain 1, 0, 1 (2)
Greece 1, 0, 1 (2)
Switzerland 1, 0, 1 (2)
Argentina 1, 0, 0 (1)
Croatia 1, 0, 0 (1)
Kosovo 1, 0, 0 (1)
Kuwait 1, 0, 0 (1)
North Korea 0, 2, 2 (4)
Ukraine 0, 2, 1 (3)
Indonesia 0, 2, 0 (2)
New Zealand 0, 2, 0 (2)
South Africa 0, 2, 0 (2)
Canada 0, 1, 5 (6)
Georgia 0, 1, 1 (2)
Azerbaijan 0, 1, 0 (1)
Denmark 0, 1, 0 (1)
Malaysia 0, 1, 0 (1)
Mongolia 0, 1, 0 (1)
Mongolia 0, 1, 0 (1)
Philippines 0, 1, 0 (1)
Slovakia 0, 1, 0 (1)
Turkey 0, 1, 0 (1)
Egypt 0, 0, 2 (2)
Uzbekistan 0, 0, 2 (2)
Czech Republic 0, 0, 1 (1)
Israel 0, 0, 1 (1)
Kyrgyzstan 0, 0, 1 (1)
Poland 0, 0, 1 (1)
Portugal 0, 0, 1 (1)
Tunisia 0, 0, 1 (1)
United Arab Emirates 0, 0, 1 (1)

Olympics Day 5

Medal Count:

1.  USA:  9 + 8 + 9 = 26
2.  CHN:  8 + 3 + 6 = 17
3.  JPN:  3 + 1 + 10 = 14
4.  RUS:  3 + 6 + 3 = 12

Here have been the top 3 medal winning countries in recent Summer Olympics (by total medals):

2000:  USA, RUS, CHN.  (JPN was 14th)
2004:  USA, RUS, CHN.  (JPN was 5th)
2008:  USA, CHN, RUS.  (JPN was 11th)
2012:  USA, CHN, RUS.  (JPN was 6th)

So it will be interesting to see if Japan can make a real run at finishing in the top 3.  I've long thought that Japan under-performed in international sports.  Maybe they've decided to take a different approach.

XXXI Olympic Summer Games, Rio 2016 (Day 0)

"Bring home the gold for the Red, White, and Blue" —@POTUS wishing @TeamUSA luck ahead of the #OpeningCeremony https://t.co/NoPgF3p10T

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 5, 2016

I'm getting out my little paper flags for tonight's opening ceremony!

XXXI Olympic Summer Games, Rio 2016 (Day -2)

OK, here we go ... we've got some South Africa-Sweden women's soccer action happening ... comments flow ... OLYMPICS!

World Cup Update -- Three Games to Go

OK, now we finally get down to brass tacks.  Brazil, Germany, Argentina, and the Netherlands -- four great powers, one of which will come away with the Big Trophy.  Today Brazil and Germany meet for only the second time in World Cup history.  The Brazilians beat Germany 2-0 in the 2002 final, and they are home today.  But they are without Neymar, the brilliant striker who has been the heart of their offense, because he suffered a broken vertebra near the end of Brazil's quarter-final win over Colombia.

The British oddsmakers see this game as a toss-up; they'll give you odds of 10 to 11 if you want either Brazil or Germany to advance.

That's all for the preview -- don't have time for team lists.

World Cup Update -- Six Games to Go

The next quarter-final game is Brazil v. Colombia.  A surprising number of commentators have picked Colombia in this game, on the grounds that they have looked better than Brazil so far.  To me, that's like picking UVA to knock UNC out of the NCAA Tournament -- when the Tournament is being played in Carolina.  It may happen, but it's going to be harder than it looks.

Here are the team lists:

BRAZIL:
Goalkeeper:  Julio Cesar (Toronto) (MLS)

Defender:  Maicon (Roma) (Italy)
Defender:  Thiago Silva (Captain) (Paris Saint-German) (France)
Defender:  David Luiz (Paris Saint-German) (France)
Defender:  Marcelo (Real Madrid) (Spain)

Midfielder:  Ferdandinho (Manchester City) (England)
Midfielder:  Paulinho (Tottenham Hotspur) (England)
Midfielder:  Oscar (Chelsea) (England)

Forward:  Neymar (Barcelona) (Spain)
Forward:  Hulk (Zenit Saint Petersburg) (Russia)
Forward:  Fred (Fluminense) (Brazil)

COLOMBIA:
Goalkeeper:  David Ospina (Nice) (France)

Defender:  Juan Camilo Zuniga (Napoli) (Italy)
Defender:  Cristian Zapata (Milan) (Italy)
Defender:  Mario Yepes (Captain) (Atalanta) (Italy)
Defender:  Pablo Armero (Udinese) (Italy)

Midfielder:  Fredy Guarin (Internazionale) (Italy)
Midfielder:  Carlos Sanchez (Elche) (Spain)
Midfielder:  Juan Guillermo Cuadrado (Fiorentina) (Italy)
Midfielder:  James Rodriguez (Monaco) (France)
Midfielder:  Victor Ibarbo (Cagliari) (Italy)

Forward:  Teofilo Gutierrez (River Plate) (Argentina)

World Cup Update -- 15 games to go

(I'm not counting the third-place game).

Four South American sides will be in action today.  At 11 A.M. Central, Brazil will take on Chile.  At 3 P.M. Central, Colombia will host Uruguay.

Here's some background on today's Brazil/Chile match:

BRAZIL:
Population:  201 million (5th in the world)
2014 GDP (est.):  $2.17 trillion (7th in the world)
Per Capita GDP:  $10,773 (63d in the world)

CHILE:
Population:  17.8 million (62nd in the world)
2014 GDP (est.):  $277.2 billion (38th in the world)
Per Capita GDP:  $15,791 (49th in the world)

Here are the teams:

BRAZIL:
Goalkeeper:  Julio Cesar (Toronto F.C.) (MLS)

Defender:  Dani Alves (Barcelona) (Spain)
Defender:  Thiago Silva (Captain) (Paris-Saint German) (France)
Defender:  David Luiz (Paris-Saint German) (France)
Defender:  Marcelo (Real Madrid) (Spain)

Midfielder:  Fernandinho (Manchester City) (England)
Midfielder:  Luis Gustavo (Wolfsburg) (Germany)
Midfielder:  Oscar (Chelsea) (England)

Forward:  Hulk (Zenit Saint Petersburg) (Russia)
Forward:  Neymar (Barcelona) (Spain)
Forward:  Fred (Fluminense) (Brazil)

CHILE:
Goalkeeper:  Claudio Bravo (Captain) (Barcelona) (Spain)

Defender:  Eugenio Mena (Santos) (Brazil)
Defender:  Mauricio Isla (Juventus) (Italy)
Defender:  Gary Medel (Cardiff City) (England)
Defender:  Gonzolo Jara (Nottingham Forest) (England)

Midfielder:  Francisco Silva (Osasuna) (Spain)
Midfielder:  Arturo Vidal (Juventus) (Italy)
Midfielder:  Charles Aranguiz (Internacional) (Brazil)
Midfielder:  Marcelo Diaz (Basel) (Switzerland)

Forward:  Alexis Sanchez (Barcelona) (Spain)
Forward:  Eduardo Vargas (Valencia) (Spain)

World Cup Update

The Group Stages are now complete, and here are the match-ups for the next round.  Only 15 games left:

Saturday, June 28:
1.  Brazil v. Chile (in Belo Horizonte)  (Brazil is favored to win at 8 to 13)
2.  Colombia v. Uruguay (in Rio De Janeiro) (Colombia is favored to win at 1 to 1)

Monday, June 30

3.  France v. Nigeria (Brasilia) (France is favored to win at 8 to 15)
4.  Germany v. Algeria (Porto Alegre)  (Germany is favored to win at 6 to 17)

Sunday, June 29
5.  Netherlands v. Mexico (Fortaleza) (Netherlands is favored to win at 15 to 13)
6.  Costa Rica v. Greece (Recife) (Costa Rica is favored to win at 17 to 11)

Tuesday, July 1
7.  Argentina v. Switzerland (Sao Paulo) (Argentina is favored to win at 8 to 15)
8.  Belgium v. United States (Salvador) (Belgium is favored to win at 11 to 13)

If you want to bet on the United States to win outright, the Brits will give you odds of 4 to 1.  If you want to bet that Belgium/U.S. will go to penalty kicks, the Brits will give you odds of 13 to 5.

Here are the latest odds on who will win the tournament:

Brazil:  3 to 1
Argentina:  7 to 2
Germany:  4 to 1
Netherlands:  15 to 2

No one else is better than 9 to 1.  Mexico is 33 to 1.  The USA is 80 to 1.

World Cup Update

Each group has now played two rounds of games, and I can honestly say that this is the most entertaining World Cup I can remember.  The games have been fast-paced and high-scoring (at least by soccer standards), and the quality of play has been very high.  Here's where each group stands (countries in bold have qualified for the knockout rounds; countries in italics have been eliminated):

Group A (Brazil, Mexico, Croatia, Cameroon):  Brazil and Mexico lead the group with four points each, but Brazil plays Cameroon (which has already been eliminated) while Mexico will have a very difficult game against Croatia (which can advance to the knockout rounds with a win over Mexico).

Group B (Netherlands, Chile, Australia, Spain):  Netherlands and Chile have clinched both spots in the knockout rounds, and their game will decide who finishes top of the group.  Netherlands will finish first if they draw.

Group C (Colombia, Ivory Coast, Japan, Greece):  Colombia is almost certain to finish top of the group, and Ivory Coast only needs a tie with Greece to advance.

Group D (Costa Rica, Italy, Uruguay, England):  Costa Rica has already clinched a spot in the knockout rounds, and they are in a very strong position to finish top of the group.  Italy and Uruguay will play an epic to determine the other spot -- Italy will advance if they draw.

Group E (France, Ecuador, Switzerland, Honduras):  In theory, all four of these teams can advance.  In reality, 2-0 France will probably come in top of the group and Switzerland should get the second spot if they can beat Honduras (as they should).

Group F (Argentina, Nigeria, Iran, Bosnia and Herzegovina):  Argentina will play Nigeria, and both teams can advance with a draw.  In theory, Iran could get the second spot if they crush Bosnia and Nigeria loses to Argentina, but somehow I don't see that happening.

Group G (Germany, United States, Ghana, Portugal):  The Group of Death has lived up to its billing, as it has produced some excellent games.  The United States was about a minute from moving on to the next round, but the Americans gave up a late goal to Portugal that created a 2-2 draw and left everything up for grabs.  Here's what it looks like now:

1.  Germany:  4 points (goal differential of 4)
2.  United States:  4 points (goal differential of 1)
3.  Ghana:  1 point (goal differential of minus 1)
4.  Portugal:  1 point (goal differential of minus 4)

Germany will not lose to the United States, so they will finish top of the group.  After that, it's anyone's guess.  The Americans will be hoping that Portugal beats Ghana, but Ghana has looked really good.  If I had to guess, I would predict that Ghana will beat Portugal, the U.S. will lose to Germany, and Ghana will overtake the U.S. on goal differential.

But the oddsmakers like the USA to advance.  In Britain, the odds on the U.S. moving to the next round are only 2 to 9, compared to 5 to 1 for Ghana and 8 to 1 for Portugal.

Group H (Belgium, Algeria, Russia, South Korea):  Belgium will finish top of this group, and Algeria will probably get the result they need to advance.


Here are the latest odds from Britain:

Brazil:  3 to 1
Germany:  4 to 1
Argentina:  7 to 2
France:  17 to 2
Netherlands:  9 to 1

No one else is better than 20 to 1.  Mexico is 66 to 1.  The United States is 100 to 1.

World Cup Update

Every team has played at least one game, so let's check in on how the World Cup is going.  Remember that there are eight groups with four teams in each group.  Each team plays every other team in the group once, and the two teams with the best records advance to the knockout rounds.  You get three points for a win, one point for a draw, and no points for a loss.

Group A (Brazil, Mexico, Cameroon, Croatia):  Brazil and Mexico are the only two teams in the tournament that have played two of their three group games.  They played a 0-0 draw today, and they each have 4 points with records of 1-0-1.  Brazil's last game is against Cameroon, so they should win that game and top the group.  Mexico will probably get at least a draw in their last game (against Croatia) to advance to the next round.

Group B (Netherlands, Chile, Australia, Spain):  The big story here is that Spain -- the defending champions of the World and Europe -- were hammered 5-1 by the Dutch in their opening game.  Now Spain faces a must-win game against Chile, which cruised to a 3-1 win over Australia.  Assuming that Spain beats Chile, it should join Netherlands in the next round.

Group C (Colombia, Ivory Coast, Japan, Greece):  None of these teams is very good, with the possible exception of Colombia, which hammered Greece 3-0.  The Colombians should top the group.  Ivory Coast has already beaten Japan 2-1, and should be able to get the result they will need against Greece to finish in second.

Group D (Costa Rica, Italy, England, Uruguay):  This is the first group in history to feature three former World Cup winners.  Costa Rica was supposed to be the odd team out, but they stunned Uruguay 3-1, while Italy beat England 2-1.  So Italy should top the group, and it will be a wild scramble among the other three teams to see who comes second.  If I had to guess, I would pick England to make it through.

Group E (France, Switzerland, Ecuador, Honduras):  Like Group C, a pretty weak group.  France drubbed Honduras 3-0, while Switzerland came from behind to beat Ecuador 2-1.  France should top the group, and Switzerland should take second.

Group F (Argentina, Iran, Nigeria, Bosnia):  This group is basically a bye for Argentina, which beat Bosnia 2-1 and shouldn't have too much trouble topping the group.  Iran and Nigeria tied 1-1, and I have no idea who will come second here.

Group G (Germany, United States, Ghana, Portugal):  Germany crushed Portugal 4-0, while the U.S. stunned Ghana 2-1.  So Germany will come in first, and the Portugal/U.S game on Sunday should decide who comes in second.  If the U.S. manages to get past Portugal to take second place in the group, Jurgen Klinsmann should get credit for the best coaching job in world soccer.

Group H (Belgium, Russia, South Korea, Algeria):  Another odd group with no traditional powers.  Belgium is heavily favored, and their 2-1 win over Algeria has them on the way to first place.  Russia and South Korea tied 1-1, and I have no idea which of them will take second.

Here are the latest odds from Britain on who will win the tournament:

Brazil:  7 to 2
Argentina:  7 to 2
Germany:  4 to 1
Netherlands:  9 to 1
Spain:  12 to 1
France:  16 to 1
Italy:  18 to 1
Belgium:  18 to 1

No one else is better than 25 to 1.  England is 33 to 1.  Mexico is 80 to 1.  The USA is 200 to 1.

World Cup Preview

Either Brazil or Spain will win the World Cup.

Rio-2016: 1,447 days to go

Finals in the U.S. National Diving Championships take place today and tomorrow in Greensboro, N.C. And then, starting Thursday, Lexington's Tyson Gay and a bunch of other track Olympians compete in something called Athletissima 2012.

The 2016 Summer Olympics are scheduled for Aug. 5-21 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.