Photo: Getty Images Europe
The United States won its first gold medal of the 2024 Paris Olympics during the Men's Swimming 4x100-meter freestyle relay final on Saturday (July 27), which marked the official first day of competition since the opening ceremony.
The American men, comprised of Jack Alexy, Chris Guiliano, Hunter Armstrong and anchored by eight-time Olympic gold medalist Caeleb Dressel, finished with a time of 3:09.28, less than a full second shy of their 3:08.24 4x100-meter Olympic record set at the 2008 Beijing Games. Australia took silver with a time of 3:10.35 and Italy bronze at 3:10.70.
The American women finished with a time of 3:30.20 for silver, 1.28 behind Australia, which finished less than a second behind its Olympic record of 3:29.69 and 1.73 seconds shy of its World Record of 3:27.96.
Team USA's five total medals (one gold, two silver, two bronze) tied with Australia -- who has an Olympic-best three gold medals -- for the most of all countries participating on Day One.
American swimmer Gretchen Walsh set an Olympic record in the 100-meter women's semifinal with a time of 55.38. Walsh had previously set the World Record of 55.18 in the 100-meter butterfly event at the Olympic trials in Indianapolis last month.
American Katie Ledecky, the most decorated female swimmer in Olympic history, finished third with an official time of marked 4:00.86, trailing Australia's Ariarne Titmus at 3:57.49 and Canada's Summer McIntosh at 3:58.37 to win bronze.
Titmus fell 2.99 seconds short of matching the 400-meter freestyle world record of 3:55.38, which she set at the 2023 World Aquatics Championship. Ledecky edged Titmus in the 400-meter heat earlier on Saturday, finishing in 4:02.19.
The U.S. Men's Under-23 Soccer Team was also victorious in a 4-1 win against New Zealand in its second match of group play, having previously lost 3-0 to host country France in a pre-opening ceremony match on Wednesday (July 24). The Americans kept their Olympic hopes alive with the win and currently trail first-place France by three points.
Other notable results from Day One of the 2024 Paris Olympics are included below:
- Women's Beach Volleyball: Taryn Kloth/Kristen Nuss (USA) defeated Heather Bansley/Sophie Bukovec, 21-17, 21-14 in a preliminary Poll B match
- Women's Tennis (doubles) Coco Gauff/Jessica Pegula (USA) defeated Ellen Perez/Daria Saville (Australia), 6-3, 6-1 in first round
- Team USA men's gymnastics qualified fifth for Monday's team final
- Women's Tennis (Singles): Angelique Kerber (Germany) defeated Naomi Osaka (Japan), 7-5, 6-3 in first round
- Men's Volleyball: Team USA defeated Argentina, 25-20, 25-19, 25-16, in first preliminary-round game
- Men's Tennis (Doubles): Rafael Nadal/Carlos Alcaraz (Spain) defeated Andres Molteni/Maximo Gonzalez, 7-6(4), 6-4 in first round
- Rugby Sevens: France defeats Fiji, 28-7, in Gold Medal Game.
- Men's Basketball: Canada defeats Greece, 86-79, in Group B matchup
- Men's Basketball: France defeats Brazil, 78-66, in Group A matchup
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