SAINT-DENIS, France — While nothing is for certain out on the track, it would be difficult to find two runners as confident that they will win as Team USA’s Jaydin Blackwell and Ryan Medrano, who won gold and silver in the T38 men’s 400-meter race Tuesday in Stade de France.  

This is the second time in four nights that the pair have finished first and second in their respective races with Blackwell standing on top of the podium both times. 

In the men’s T38 100 Saturday, Blackwell broke his own world record with a time of 10.64 seconds. Medrano crossed the finish line right behind him at 10.97.

It was clear when the race started that it would be another battle between the two American sprinters as Blackwell once again crossed first with a world-record-tying-time of 48.49 seconds. Medrano followed suit, completing the race in 49.74 for second place.

“This is the first time I’ve been excited to run a 400,” Medrano said. “I’ve been actually preparing for it nonstop – [running] broken 200s, 300s, getting PRs in each of my training sessions, so I was excited. I  wanted to break 50.”

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Medrano not only met his goal, but set a personal best in the race. 

Blackwell said he relishes the time he has had with his teammate.

“I’m just glad that I get to race with him every single time that we get out there,” he said. “It’s nothing, just a little friendly competition, nothing more.”

Ezra Frech wins second gold in two nights

Coming in as the world-record holder did not guarantee an easy win for 19-year-old Ezra Frech in his second Paralympic Games. 

Frech has kept the medal podium picture of the T63 high jump from the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics as the screensaver on his phone as motivation for the Paris Games – a picture he was not a part of. 

Tuesday, Frech fulfilled his dream and completed his time in France with a first-place finish, clearing 1.94 meters and securing the gold.

“I was thinking maybe I’ll change it, maybe I’ll leave it,” Frech said of his phone’s home screen. “Maybe I’ll leave it just to stay motivated because that is still a part of me. I did lose. That is still motivating.”

Frech joked he might change it to his fifth-place long jump finish  for extra motivation in Los Angeles in 2028.

While he was the favorite going into the night having broke the world record in Miramar at trials, Frech had to battle Sharad Kumar and Mariyappan Thangavelu from India. The jumpers finished second and third respectively, but both spent time atop of the leaderboard ahead of Frech before he pulled away in the last couple attempts.

“I have nothing, but the utmost respect for my competitors, ” Frech said. “They are all great jumpers. I was prepared for everyone to jump really, really high, especially when you get to a stadium like this.”

Americans on the podium

Overall, the Americans showed up strong Tuesday in Stade de France as a couple other athletes claimed medals.

Susannah Scaroni added to the United States’ tally with a bronze finish in the T54 women’s 1,500 at 3:16.68.

We’re in the final stretch of the WNBA regular season, and the rookies are shining bright. 

Teams have seven or eight games left, and the playoff race is starting to crystalize (the last day of the regular season is Sept. 19; playoffs start Sept. 22). Nothing is for sure until it’s for sure, though, as evidenced in the last week by teams like Dallas and Los Angeles knocking off championship contenders Minnesota and New York, respectively. Nothing comes easy in this league, and the veterans will spend the next two-plus weeks reminding the newcomers of that. 

In other words: We’re in for a fun final stretch. 

Some of the most impressive rookies from the 2024 season — like Los Angeles Sparks standout Rickea Jackson — likely won’t get more than the 40 game regular season because their teams are mostly out of the playoff hunt. But the two biggest rookie stars, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, are poised to make the playoffs. There’s a reason they’re at the top of the final USA TODAY Sports WNBA Rookie Power Rankings. Let’s take a closer look:

1. Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever

Stats through 33 games: 18.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 8.4 assists, 1.4 steals

Breakdown: Clark has been nothing short of spectacular since play resumed after the Olympic break, averaging 24.6 points and 9.0 assists in seven games post-Paris (turns out that time off was good for her, as it has historically been for rookies). 

Besides her standout individual play, the Fever have looked remarkably better as a team, having gone 6-1 and currently sit in sixth place. With their 100-81 win over fellow rookie Reese and the Chicago Sky on Aug. 30 — giving the Fever a 3-1 record over Chicago this season — Clark has all but wrapped up the 2024 Rookie of the Year award. She leads the league in assists, and has already set WNBA rookie records for made 3s and assists. 

2. Angel Reese, Chicago Sky

Stats through 32 games: 13.3 points, 13.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 steals

Breakdown: The surprise star of the 2024 rookie class, Reese has been terrific this season, especially on the glass, where she’s already set a WNBA single-season record for rebounds; keep in mind, this is for all of the WNBA, not just rookies. 

It’s true that many of Reese’s rebounds come from grabbing her own misses — roughly one-third of them, according to a terrific deep-dive from HerHoopStats. Reese will be the first to say she needs to get more polished and efficient on the offensive end, and she will get there. In the meantime, there’s no denying her tenacity on the boards, which has helped Chicago push for a playoff spot. The issues with the Sky — mostly that they do not have a veteran guard who can steady them — are not the fault of Reese. Still, wins matter and it’s why right now at least, Reese is coming up behind Clark in the Rookie of the Year race. 

3. Leonie Fiebich, New York Liberty

Stats through 33 games: 6.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists

Breakdown: Fiebich’s summer with the German national team clearly gave her a confidence boost. Don’t be fooled by her stats. This 24-year-old rookie has been a key sub for the championship-contending Liberty this season, especially since returning from the Olympic break. Fiebich was a 2020 draft pick — she went in the second round, No. 22 overall, to Los Angeles — but hasn’t played in the league until this summer. She regularly closes games for the Liberty and will be crucial in their playoff push. 

4. Kamilla Cardoso, Chicago Sky

Stats through 26 games: 9.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists

Breakdown: Now that she’s fully healthy, we’re beginning to see just how dominant Cardoso is going to be at the professional level. Cardoso, like Reese, needs to get more polished on the offensive end — she has a bad habit of getting stuck underneath the basket — but that will come with time. She moves well for her size and will only get better. Her play this season has been impressive but sometimes lost in the conversation because of the Sky’s inconsistency (again, not her fault). 

5. Rickea Jackson, Los Angeles Sparks

Stats through 32 games: 12.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists

Breakdown: Everyone who follows women’s basketball knew Jackson, a scoring machine in college, would be a force in the WNBA. But I’m not sure any of us anticipated how quickly she would transition to taking games over at the professional level. Some evidence of that: her 25-point explosion in the Sparks’ Aug. 25 game at Dallas, and her 19-point performance against the Liberty three days later. Once fellow rookie Cameron Brink gets healthy, she and the 6-foot-2 guard/forward Jackson will be a lethal inside-out combo. The future is bright in LA. 

6. Jacy Sheldon, Dallas Wings

Stats through 32 games: 5.2 points, 1.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists

Breakdown: Stuck on the bench early in the season, Sheldon has found her place with the Wings and looks to be an important piece of their rotation for the foreseeable future. She’s a smart defender, likes to push pace offensively and is getting better at hitting open looks and creating shots for her teammates. Dallas has been hit hard by injuries this season, but the last couple games have shown the Wings are eager to show they’re better than their record. Could Sheldon help them make a playoff push? 

7. Aaliyah Edwards, Washington Mystics

Stats through 29 games: 7.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists

Breakdown: Edwards has started two games in a row for the Mystics, a nod to her improvement and dependability late in the WNBA season. Edwards is also benefitting from an Olympic break spent with the Canadian national team; though Canada was underwhelming at the Paris Games she got valuable time with and against some of the world’s top pros. At this point all Edwards really needs is more playing time, and that could come in bunches the next couple weeks as Washington tries to secure a spot in the postseason. She’s going to be a solid pro for a very long time. 

8. Celeste Taylor, Phoenix Mercury

Stats through 14 games: 2.0 points, 0.5 rebounds, 0.7 assists

Breakdown: Talk about a journeywoman. Drafted 15th overall this spring by the Indiana Fever, Taylor was waived in late June before being signed to a seven-day contract by the Phoenix Mercury on July 12. Then she went to Connecticut on another short contract and played in one game before landing back with the Mercury. In Phoenix she’s drawn praise from Diana Taurasi and Natasha Cloud, some of the league’s longest-tenured and most accomplished veterans. Taylor hasn’t had an easy road in her first season as a pro, but we deeply respect how she keeps showing up and working to prove herself. 

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The National Hockey League will have a new highest-paid player for three seasons in a row.

Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl agreed to an eight-year, $112 million extension on Tuesday that will give him a $14 million cap hit when the deal kicks in during the 2025-26 season. That will move him past Auston Matthews’ four-year, $53 million contract ($13.25 million cap hit) that takes effect this season.

Matthews’ deal surpassed Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon’s $12.6 million cap hit, which took effect last season. Before that, Oilers star Connor McDavid ($12.5 million) had the top average annual salary.

Draisaitl was considered vastly underpaid in his current contract, which averages $8.5 million and expires this season.

Draisaitl, 28, the No. 3 overall pick of the 2014 draft, has the second-most points in the NHL since he became a regular in the 2015-16 season. His 841 points trail only McDavid (982). His 145 power-play goals leads all scorers during that time.

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In the playoffs, his 1.46 points per game is second behind McDavid’s 1.58.

Draisaitl was voted the Hart Trophy as MVP to his team in 2019-20 and helped the Oilers reach Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final last season.

New general manager Stan Bowman said after his July hiring that signing Draisaitl was his top priority. He had to delay when the St. Louis Blues made offer sheets to forward Dylan Holloway and defenseman Philip Broberg. Bowman ended up not matching the offers and letting those players go.

McDavid’s contract runs out after the 2025-26 season and he almost certainly would pass Draisaitl’s figure in his next deal.

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Georgia locks down on No. 1, Notre Dame breaks into the top five and Southern California is one of several teams making a big move in the first updated USA TODAY Sports NCAA Re-Rank 1-134 of the 2024 season.

Already atop the 134 in the preseason, the Bulldogs are the no-doubt No. 1 after picking apart Clemson in Saturday’s 34-3 win. The loss drops the Tigers 19 spots to No. 27.

Notre Dame climbs two spots to No. 5 after winning 23-13 at Texas A&M. The Fighting Irish replace Oregon, down two spots to No. 6 after struggling to beat Idaho. USC is up 14 to No. 9 after beating LSU 27-20 in Las Vegas, while the Tigers drop 10 to No. 16.

Another team climbing the re-rank is No. 14 Miami, up 12 after embarrassing Florida. Arizona State soars 49 spots to No. 56 after beating Wyoming 48-7.

No. 10 in the preseason 1-134, Florida State is now No. 59 after losses to Georgia Tech and Boston College.

Virginia Tech drops 33 spots to No. 53 after losing in overtime at Vanderbilt and Florida is down to No. 81 after starting this must-win season with a flop against the Hurricanes.

PARIS − Team USA sprinter Brittni Mason was all smiles as the silver medal was placed around her neck on the podium at the Stade de France Tuesday night. She earned that spot with a 12.10-second finish in the women’s 100m T47 race. 

That smile was noticeably absent during her introduction and close-up as she went through her pre-race routine. 

“I’m just analyzing my race,” she said of her mindset.  “The things that I need to focus on before I get into the blocks because everyone knows you can’t sprint and think at the same time.”

It’s been eight long days of thinking for Mason since the opening ceremony of the Paris Paralympics. The two-time Paralympian has done everything in her power to minimize distraction prior to the race.

“Honestly, I’ve literally not even gone out to the city,” said Mason. “I’ve just been sleeping, eating, practicing and just recovering. Trying to stay tuned in to my first race.” 

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Although the race was over in the blink of an eye, the difference between gold and silver was only sixth one-hundredths of a second with Ecuador sprinter Kiara Rodriguez finishing first in 12.04. 

Mason said she expects the race to propel her forward. 

“I finished that 100 strong,” she said. “That has given me a lot of confidence and ammunition for my next race. I’ll go back and talk to my coach to see what I need to fix, and then a couple of rest days and then off to the 200.” 

The 100 is just the beginning of Mason’s competition as she is set to run the 200m on Saturday. Mason and her coaches have been training for the 100 specifically in hopes of bettering her time for her longer races.

“I’ve still got some more work to do, but you know, I’ll take that. I’m just super honored and humbled to be here and still be healthy and still be competing really well and medaling” said Mason

This silver finish is Mason’s third Paralympic medal and second in this event. Although Mason has stood on the podium before, she said she still felt the pride of representing her country. 

“This is so surreal,” Mason said. “I wake up every day and get to do what I love and run while representing my country and medal. I am just so happy to be here.”

Mason had a late start to her Paralympic career as she did not even know she was eligible to compete until she was 20. Since birth, the sprinter’s left arm has had a limited range of motion due to a form of brachial plexus called Erb’s Palsy. Mason has since made it a point to be a Paralympics advocate so that fellow athletes with disabilities will know about their chance to compete on the world stage. 

“I’ve had so many people who’ve actually watched me compete with the same disability and reach out to say because of you I know that I could run para in the future,” said Mason. “Then just try to get them involved and to help grow the sport.”

The San Francisco 49ers might be golden heading into Week 1 after all.

As their regular-season opener against the New York Jets on ‘Monday Night Football’ approaches, the reigning NFC champions wrapped up a contract extension Tuesday with All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams, according to his agency, Elite Loyalty Sports. The three-year deal, $82.66 million deal includes $48 million guaranteed and a $25.69 million signing bonus.

Williams, formerly the league’s highest-paid offensive lineman and widely regarded as its premier left tackle, had dropped to sixth in terms of average annual salary ($23 million per) over the past year. He held out of training camp seeking a new deal after tackles Tristan Wirfs, Penei Sewell and Christian Darrisaw overtook him on the pay scale during the offseason. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Wirfs is currently the best-compensated blocker at $28.1 million annually after getting a five-year extension worth $140.6 million.

The 49ers had had competing priorities in recent weeks, yet finally reached an extension with wideout Brandon Aiyuk last Thursday, bringing his ‘hold-in’ to an end.

Now Williams is set to rejoin the fold not a week before the Niners initiate their latest attempt to win a record-tying sixth Super Bowl. And his presence is certainly predictive of the team’s success, San Francisco suffering four of its five regular-season losses in 2023 when Williams was inactive (twice) or wasn’t on the field for at least half the snaps.

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An 11-time Pro Bowler and first-round pick of Washington in 2010, Williams was recently ranked the seventh-best player in the league by his peers in an annual NFL Network survey, the highest spot ever earned by an offensive lineman.

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