Sergio Camello scored two goals in extra time to propel Spain to a 5-3 victory for the gold medal against France at Parc des Princes in Paris.

Spain continued its dominant summer, winning Olympic gold and Euro 2024. It is Spain’s second Olympic gold (Barcelona 1992), and improved on its silver finish to Brazil at the Tokyo Games three years ago.

Meanwhile, France finished with silver for the second time as hosts. France won silver at the Paris Games in 1900, and last won gold at Los Angeles in 1984.

The men’s soccer final was a wave of emotions for the French, who were elated after Enzo Millot scored in the 11th minute. About 17 minutes later, Spain’s Fermín López scored twice (18’ and 25’), and Álex Baena scored a free kick (28’) to take a commanding 3-1 lead.

2024 Olympic medals: Who is leading the medal count? Follow along as we track the medals for every sport.

France trailed for much of the match until Jean-Philippe Mateta converted a penalty kick in stoppage time to tie Spain at 3 in the final minutes of regulation.

France’s Arnaud Kalimuendo was taken down by Spain’s Beñat Turrientes inside the penalty area during a late corner kick in the 89th minute, and the penalty kick was awarded to France after VAR.

Thanks to Maghnes Akliouche’s goal in the 79th minute, France erased a 3-1 deficit to force extra time. But Spain would not be denied.

Check out these highlights from USA TODAY Sports on the France-Spain match:

Sergio Camello goal: Spain 5, France 3

Spain is on its way to gold at the Paris Olympics against host France.

Sergio Camello scored his second goal in extra time (120+1’), and Spain will hang on to win the men’s soccer final.

Sergio Camello goal: Spain 4, France 3 in extra time

Spain is back on top: Sergio Camello chipped in a goal over sliding French goalkeeper Guillaume Restes to take a 4-3 lead in the 100th minute during extra time.

France storms back to force extra time vs. Spain in men’s soccer final

The men’s soccer final is not over, and France is back in it.

France’s Jean-Philippe Mateta converted a penalty kick in stoppage time to tie Spain at 3 in the final minutes of regulation. The match will continue with extra time for the gold medal.

France’s Arnaud Kalimuendo was taken down by Spain’s Beñat Turrientes inside the penalty area during a late corner kick in the 89th minute, and the penalty kick was awarded to France after VAR.

Maghnes Akliouche also scored in the 79th minute for France, which erased a 3-1 deficit Spain held since the 28th minute.

Jean-Philippe Mateta goal: France 3, Spain 3

The men’s soccer final is not over, and France is back in it.

France’s Jean-Philippe Mateta converted a penalty kick in stoppage time to tie Spain at 3 in the final minutes of regulation.

France’s Arnaud Kalimuendo was taken down by Spain’s Beñat Turrientes inside the penalty area during a late corner kick in the 89th minute, and a penalty kick was awarded to France after VAR.

Maghnes Akliouche goal: Spain 3, France 2

France is back in the men’s soccer final, but running out of time.

Maghnes Akliouche’s goal in the 79th minute trimmed Spain’s lead to 3-2 for host France.

Halftime: Spain storms out to 3-1 lead vs. host France in men’s soccer gold medal game

Spain responded to France’s early lead with three goals of their own in a span of 10 minutes to take a 3-1 lead in the gold medal game.

Fermín López scored twice (18’ and 25’), and a free kick by Álex Baena (28’) helped Spain respond emphatically after France’s Enzo Millot gave the home side a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute.

France’s leading goalscorer Jean-Philippe Mateta nearly made his mark again, but his header was deflected by Spain goalkeeper Amau Tenas in stoppage time before halftime. Michael Olise also had a left boot that just sailed outside the left post in a hectic sequence near the net. France defender Loic Badé also finished the half with a yellow card after a foul.

Álex Baena goal: Spain 3, France 1

Spain is on fire in Paris: Álex Baena scored a free kick goal into the left corner of the net to help Spain take a 3-1 lead in the 28th minute against France in the gold medal match.

Spain scored three unanswered goals in a span of 10 minutes after falling behind 1-0 to France in the 11th minute.

Fermín López goal: Spain 2, France 1

In a matter of 15 minutes, Spain turned an early deficit into an early lead.

Fermín López already has a brace after his second goal, a putback in front of the net in the 25th minute, to help Spain take a 2-1 lead against France.

López has six goals at the Paris Games, two shy of Morocco’s Soufiane Rahimi.

Fermín López goal: France 1, Spain 1

It didn’t take Spain long to respond: Fermín López finished a stellar sequence with a right boot into the back of the net in the 18th minute of this gold medal match against host France. It’s just the second goal France has allowed during the Paris Games.

Enzo Millot goal: France 1, Spain 0

France is on the board early in the gold medal game: Enzo Millot’s left boot was deflected by Spain goalie Arnau Tenas into the left side of the net in the 11th minute.

France vs. Spain betting odds

France (+150) is a slight favorite over Spain (+200), while a draw is +195 at BETMGM. These odds only account for the 90-minute regulation.

How did France reach gold medal game? France Olympic highlights

France responded from the brink of elimination as Olympic hosts behind two goals from Jean-Philippe Mateta (83’ and 99’), and another by Michael Olise (108’) to defeat Egypt 3-1 on Monday.

France also beat Argentina 1-0 in the quarterfinals, and won Group A with a 3-0 win over the United States, 1-0 win vs. Guinea and 3-0 win against New Zealand in Paris.

How did Spain reach gold medal game? Spain Olympic highlights

Spain won in comeback fashion behind goals by Fermín López (66’) and Juanlu Sanchez (85’) to edge Morocco 2-1 during their semifinal on Monday.

Spain also defeated Japan 3-0 in the quarterfinals, and finished second in Group C after a 2-1 win over Uzbekistan, a 3-1 win over the Dominican Republic and a 2-1 loss to Egypt in Paris.

Who won Paris Olympic men’s soccer bronze medal?

The bronze medal was awarded to Morocco, which emphatically defeated Egypt 6-0 on Thursday.

Soufaine Rahimi scored twice (26’ and 64’), and became the first player in Olympic history to score in six straight matches. Abde Ezzalzouli (23’), Bilal El Khannouss (51’), Akram Nakach (73’) and Achraf Hakimi (87’) also scored for Morocco.

How did USMNT perform at the Paris Olympics?

The United States men’s soccer team was ousted after a 4-0 loss to Morocco in the quarterfinals.

But here are the positives: It was USA men’s soccer’s first Olympics appearance since 2008, and the first time they reached the knockout stage since 2000.

When does USA women’s soccer national team play in the Paris Olympics?

The USWNT will play Brazil in the gold medal game of the Paris Olympics on Saturday at 11 a.m. ET.

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PARIS − Algerian boxer Imane Khelif will be fighting for Olympic gold Friday night.

Targeted in a “gender eligibility’’ controversy at the Paris Olympics, Khelif continues to thrive inside the boxing ring.

She’s won all three of her bouts in the women’s welterweight division (146 pounds) and faces China’s Yang Liu in the finals at Roland-Garros Stadium.

Khelif, 25, won her opening bout when Italy’s Angela Carini quit 46 seconds into the match in the round of 16. She won on points by unanimous decision in the quarterfinals against Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori and in the semifinals against Thailand’s Janjaem Suwannapheng.

Yang Liu, 32, won her first two bouts on points by unanimous decision and won her semifinal bout by split decision, 4-1.

2024 Olympic medals: Who is leading the medal count? Follow along as we track the medals for every sport.

How many rounds are Olympic bouts?

Bouts are scheduled for three rounds and are scored by five judges. Using a 10-point system, each judge awards 10 points to the boxer they deem won the round and at least nine points to the boxer they deem lost the round.

Barring a stoppage, the winner of the bout will be determined by points based on the judges’ scorecards. A boxer earns one point for each judge who deems the boxer has won at least two of the three rounds.

Imane Khelif draws support again

Algerians began arriving  early in strong numbers for Khelif’s bout, with one woman wearing a T-shirt that reads, “Algerian Feminists Stand With You.”

When is Imane Khelif’s next fight?

10:51 p.m. Paris time (4:51 p.m. ET) Friday, August 9

How to watch Imane Khelif’s next fight

The fight will be broadcast on NBC/Peacock.

Where will the match be held?

Roland Garros Stadium, home of the French Open

PARIS — Team USA missed out on the podium in breaking after both of its B-Girls, Sunny and Logistx, failed to advance past the round-robin stage at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

B-Girl Logistx ultimately fell victim to a brutal draw, having to go against two of the clear contenders for medals: B-Girl Nicka of Lithuania and B-Girl Syssy of France. Logistx, whose real name is Logan Edra, lost her battle to Nicka, 2-0, and needed to sweep Syssy in her third round — which was always going to be tough, given Syssy’s talent and the support of a hometown crowd. They ended up splitting the two rounds, leaving Logistx just short of the top eight.

“It was definitely one of those, ‘Damn, they might be the hardest battles of the whole bracket,’” Logistx said.

She still envisioned herself moving along in the competition and purposefully saved her best moves for Nicka and Syssy – and then dig deeper into her bag for Ami of Japan should the two cross paths in the knockout round.

Logistx thought she smoked Nicka in the first round of their battle and said she’ll have to watch it back to see if she agrees with the judges.

2024 Olympic medals: Who is leading the medal count? Follow along as we track the medals for every sport.

“When I saw the votes I was like, ‘The (expletive)?’” she said.

B-Girl Sunny, meanwhile, brought some artistry and character to the stage but simply didn’t match the power moves of some of her competitors. She was eliminated from quarterfinal contention even before her third battle, which she won, defeating Portugal’s Vanessa, 2-0.

“I had a lot of fun,” said Sunny, who said she didn’t come across as ‘salty’ because she genuinely enjoyed herself.

Why is breaking in the Olympics?

When is breakdancing competition in the Olympics?

The B-Girls are competed Friday, Aug. 9, the B-Boys go Saturday, Aug. 10. The breaking competitions at the 2024 Paris Games will all be televised live on E!, with the women’s competition slated to begin around 10 a.m. ET on Friday and conclude with the finals, which start at 2 p.m. ET. The men’s competition will take place at the same times Saturday.

Where did breakdancing originate? Who invented it?

In the Bronx in the 1980s, DJ Kool Herc elongated the breaks in the beat – hence the term breaking – long enough for people to drop to the floor and start dancing. The breaks he invented became known as the ‘go off,’ a phrase that has found life generations after its origination. Read Chris Bumbaca’s feature on the origins of breaking and how it spread globally.

PARIS – Blowing a lead to lose to world No. 1 Poland was bad enough.

Losing to Italy would have only made it worse.

The United States men’s volleyball team doesn’t have to think about the second part. It swept Italy on Friday at South Paris Arena to secure the bronze medal at the Paris Olympic Games and bounce back from Wednesday’s five-set semifinal defeat to Poland, a result its coach called ‘really devastating.’

‘This will help (us) move on,’ USA coach John Speraw said, ‘but I don’t think we’ll ever truly be over that (Poland) match. That’s a risk you take when you’re trying to achieve something great.’

It’s the second bronze in the past three Olympics for the U.S. men’s team, which redeemed itself three years after failing to advance out of the group stage at the Tokyo Olympics.

2024 Olympic medals: Who is leading the medal count? Follow along as we track the medals for every sport.

Most of a veteran U.S. team returned from that previous Olympics, including Speraw.

‘This group has been together a long time, so we wanted to finish on a high,’ said U.S. libero Erik Shoji. ‘So that’s what we did. It was a little stressful, but we got it done.’

Against Italy, it wasn’t as easy as a 3-0 score might suggest. The U.S. grinded out a trio of tight, intense sets, ending up with a 25-23, 30-28, 26-24 victory. Each team had set points in the second before the Americans were able to pull it out and celebrated with family afterward on the court.

‘This has been a great experience. We’ve played great volleyball,’ Speraw said. ‘I think (losing) would have been hurtful for a group of guys that has deserved Olympic medals.’

The U.S. will also face Italy on Sunday in the women’s volleyball final, with the American team hoping to win gold for the second consecutive Olympics.

France and Poland will play for the men’s gold medal Saturday.

Poland dealt the American men their lone defeat of these Olympics. The U.S. led two sets to one before dropping each of the final two sets by two points each. Poland beat the U.S. despite a 111-104 deficit in total points.

Will France win the gold medal in men’s soccer as the 2024 Paris Olympics hosts?

Or will Spain bring home the gold after failing to do so in the last Olympic final?

France and Spain will compete in the Olympic men’s soccer final on Friday, kicking off at noon ET, at Parc des Princes in Paris.

Both countries hope to win their second gold medal in the sport.

Spain has reached its second consecutive gold medal game, but finished with silver against Brazil at the Tokyo Olympics. Spain previously won gold at Barcelona in 1992.

2024 Olympic medals: Who is leading the medal count? Follow along as we track the medals for every sport.

France won silver as hosts at the Paris Games in 1900, and last won gold at Los Angeles in 1984.

Follow along for live updates, score and highlights from USA TODAY Sports on the France-Spain match today:

How to watch France vs. Spain Olympic men’s soccer final?

TV, streaming: USA Network (Fubo), Telemundo, Peacock and NBCOlympics.com

Sergio Camello goal: Spain 5, France 3

Spain is on its way to gold at the Paris Olympics against host France.

Sergio Camello scored his second goal in extra time (120+1’), and Spain will hang on to win the men’s soccer final.

Sergio Camello goal: Spain 4, France 3 in extra time

Spain is back on top: Sergio Camello chipped in a goal over sliding French goalkeeper Guillaume Restes to take a 4-3 lead in the 100th minute during extra time.

France storms back to force extra time vs. Spain in men’s soccer final

The men’s soccer final is not over, and France is back in it.

France’s Jean-Philippe Mateta converted a penalty kick in stoppage time to tie Spain at 3 in the final minutes of regulation. The match will continue with extra time for the gold medal.

France’s Arnaud Kalimuendo was taken down by Spain’s Beñat Turrientes inside the penalty area during a late corner kick in the 89th minute, and the penalty kick was awarded to France after VAR.

Maghnes Akliouche also scored in the 79th minute for France, which erased a 3-1 deficit Spain held since the 28th minute.

Jean-Philippe Mateta goal: France 3, Spain 3

The men’s soccer final is not over, and France is back in it.

France’s Jean-Philippe Mateta converted a penalty kick in stoppage time to tie Spain at 3 in the final minutes of regulation.

France’s Arnaud Kalimuendo was taken down by Spain’s Beñat Turrientes inside the penalty area during a late corner kick in the 89th minute, and a penalty kick was awarded to France after VAR.

Maghnes Akliouche goal: Spain 3, France 2

France is back in the men’s soccer final, but running out of time.

Maghnes Akliouche’s goal in the 79th minute trimmed Spain’s lead to 3-2 for host France.

Halftime: Spain storms out to 3-1 lead vs. host France in men’s soccer gold medal game

Spain responded to France’s early lead with three goals of their own in a span of 10 minutes to take a 3-1 lead in the gold medal game.

Fermín López scored twice (18’ and 25’), and a free kick by Álex Baena (28’) helped Spain respond emphatically after France’s Enzo Millot gave the home side a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute.

France’s leading goalscorer Jean-Philippe Mateta nearly made his mark again, but his header was deflected by Spain goalkeeper Amau Tenas in stoppage time before halftime. Michael Olise also had a left boot that just sailed outside the left post in a hectic sequence near the net. France defender Loic Badé also finished the half with a yellow card after a foul.

Álex Baena goal: Spain 3, France 1

Spain is on fire in Paris: Álex Baena scored a free kick goal into the left corner of the net to help Spain take a 3-1 lead in the 28th minute against France in the gold medal match.

Spain scored three unanswered goals in a span of 10 minutes after falling behind 1-0 to France in the 11th minute.

Fermín López goal: Spain 2, France 1

In a matter of 15 minutes, Spain turned an early deficit into an early lead.

Fermín López already has a brace after his second goal, a putback in front of the net in the 25th minute, to help Spain take a 2-1 lead against France.

López has six goals at the Paris Games, two shy of Morocco’s Soufiane Rahimi.

Fermín López goal: France 1, Spain 1

It didn’t take Spain long to respond: Fermín López finished a stellar sequence with a right boot into the back of the net in the 18th minute of this gold medal match against host France. It’s just the second goal France has allowed during the Paris Games.

Enzo Millot goal: France 1, Spain 0

France is on the board early in the gold medal game: Enzo Millot’s left boot was deflected by Spain goalie Arnau Tenas into the left side of the net in the 11th minute.

France vs. Spain betting odds

France (+150) is a slight favorite over Spain (+200), while a draw is +195 at BETMGM. These odds only account for the 90-minute regulation.

How did France reach gold medal game? France Olympic highlights

France responded from the brink of elimination as Olympic hosts behind two goals from Jean-Philippe Mateta (83’ and 99’), and another by Michael Olise (108’) to defeat Egypt 3-1 on Monday.

France also beat Argentina 1-0 in the quarterfinals, and won Group A with a 3-0 win over the United States, 1-0 win vs. Guinea and 3-0 win against New Zealand in Paris.

How did Spain reach gold medal game? Spain Olympic highlights

Spain won in comeback fashion behind goals by Fermín López (66’) and Juanlu Sanchez (85’) to edge Morocco 2-1 during their semifinal on Monday.

Spain also defeated Japan 3-0 in the quarterfinals, and finished second in Group C after a 2-1 win over Uzbekistan, a 3-1 win over the Dominican Republic and a 2-1 loss to Egypt in Paris.

Who won Paris Olympic men’s soccer bronze medal?

The bronze medal was awarded to Morocco, which emphatically defeated Egypt 6-0 on Thursday.

Soufaine Rahimi scored twice (26’ and 64’), and became the first player in Olympic history to score in six straight matches. Abde Ezzalzouli (23’), Bilal El Khannouss (51’), Akram Nakach (73’) and Achraf Hakimi (87’) also scored for Morocco.

How did USMNT perform at the Paris Olympics?

The United States men’s soccer team was ousted after a 4-0 loss to Morocco in the quarterfinals.

But here are the positives: It was USA men’s soccer’s first Olympics appearance since 2008, and the first time they reached the knockout stage since 2000.

When does USA women’s soccer national team play in the Paris Olympics?

The USWNT will play Brazil in the gold medal game of the Paris Olympics on Saturday at 11 a.m. ET.

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY operates independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

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PARIS — Breaking — more commonly called breakdancing — is making its Olympic debut here at the 2024 Paris Games. The competition opens with the B-Girls, and medals will be decided by the end of the day today.

The competition started with a round-robin tournament, four groups of four breakers, with each one going two rounds against the other three in their group. From there, the top two B-Girls in each group — as determined by who won the most rounds — advanced to the quarterfinals. (USA’s Sunny Choi and Logan Edra did not make it to the knockout rounds.) The quarters, semis and finals will all be three rounds in a traditional bracket style.

USA TODAY Sports is bringing you everything you need to know, live updates and highlights as the competition unfolds. Follow along.

Lithuania’s Nicka vs. China’s 671

These B-Girls are facing off in the last semifinal battle of the competition. The winner will face Japan’s Ami for the gold medal.

2024 Olympic medals: Who is leading the medal count? Follow along as we track the medals for every sport.

Japan’s Ami advances to gold medal battle

Japan’s Ami defeated Netherlands’ India, 2-1, in a three-round battle to advance to the gold medal final. India will compete for the bronze medal

Breaking bracket, semifinal results

We’re down to the final four B-girls as the sun sets at La Concorde. B-Girl Ami (Japan) and B-girl Nicka (Lithuania) both coasted into the semifinals after dominant quarterfinal wins. They’ll face B-Girl India of the Netherlands and B-Girl 671 of China, respectively, in the next round — with the winners advancing, and the losers left to battle for bronze. Here’s the bracket for the B-Girls semifinals. Each battle is three rounds.

Japan’s Ami def. Netherlands’ India, 2-1
China’s 671 vs. Lithuania’s Nicka

Where did breakdancing originate?

In the Bronx in the 1980s, DJ Kool Herc elongated the breaks in the beat – hence the term breaking – long enough for people to drop to the floor and start dancing. The breaks he invented became known as the ‘go off,’ a phrase that has found life generations after its origination. Read Chris Bumbaca’s feature on the origins of breaking and how it spread globally.

Why is breakdancing an Olympic sport?

Breaking bracket, quarterfinal results

Here are the scores for the quarterfinals. Each battle was three rounds.

Japan’s Ami def. France’s Syssy, 3-0
Netherlands’ India def. Japan’s Ayumi, 2-1
China’s 671 def. Ukraine’s Kate, 3-0
Lithuania’s Nicka def. China’s Ying Zi, 3-0

What are breakers signaling during battles?

The B-Girls breaking quarterfinals are underway, with B-Girl Ami of Japan having just swept B-Girl Sissy of France to become the first to punch her ticket to the semifinals.

As the competition heats up, it’s as good a time as any to explain the reactions you might notice from one dance as the other is competing — specifically two fingers or a wag of one. Breakers sometimes do this to signal to the judges that their opponent is repeating a move or combination of moves. As the competition progresses, the ‘vocabulary’ category should play a larger role — effectively punishing breakers for continuing to do the same moves over and over again.

Breaking knockout battles set

The field for the gold-medal bracket in breaking is officially set for the B-Girls. China and Japan will each have two B-Girls in the eight-person final later tonight, while France, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Ukraine will have one apiece. 

B-Girl Ami of Japan and B-Girl India of the Netherlands was the only breakers to win all six of their rounds in the round-robin stage, while B-Girl Nicka of Lithuania won five of her six.

USA’s Sunny Choi, Logan Edra knocked out in round-robin stage

Team USA will miss out on the podium in breaking after both of its B-Girls, Sunny and Logistx, failed to advance past the round-robin stage.

B-Girl Logistx ultimately fell victim to a brutal draw, having to go against two of the clear contenders for medals: B-Girl Nicka of Lithuania and B-Girl Syssy of France. Logistx, whose real name is Logan Edra, lost her battle to Nicka, 2-0, and needed to sweep Syssy in her third round — which was always going to be tough, given Syssy’s talent and the support of a hometown crowd. They ended up splitting the two rounds, leaving Logistx just short of the top eight.

B-Girl Sunny, meanwhile, brought some artistry and character to the stage but simply couldn’t match the power moves of some of her competitors. She was eliminated from quarterfinal contention even before her third battle, which she won, defeating Portugal’s Vanessa, 2-0.

When is breakdancing competition in the Olympics?

The B-Girls are competing today, the B-Boys go Saturday, Aug. 10. The breaking competitions at the 2024 Paris Games will all be televised live on E!, with the women’s competition slated to begin around 10 a.m. ET on Friday and conclude with the finals, which start at 2 p.m. ET. The men’s competition will take place at the same times Saturday.

Breaking at Olympics results, scores

Here are the round robin battle results. There were two rounds per battle, 18 total votes up for grabs, nine per round.

Lithuania’s Nicka 1 (11 votes) vs. France’s Syssy 1 (7 votes), Group B
USA’s Logistx 2 (18) vs. Australia’s Raygun 0 (0), Group B
Japan’s Ami 2 (17) vs. Italy’s Anti 0 (1), Group C
China’s Ying Zi 2 (18) vs. Morocco’s Elmamouny 0 (0), Group C
Japan’s Ayumi 1 (10) vs. Ukraine’s Stefani 1 (8), Group D
Ukraine’s Kate 2 (15) vs. France’s Carlota 0 (3), Group D
China’s 671 2 (16) vs. USA’s Sunny 0 (2), Group A
Netherlands’ India 2 (15) vs. Portugal’s Vanessa 0 (3), Group A
Lithuania’s Nicka 2 (13) vs. USA’s Logistix 0 (5), Group B
France’s Syssy 2 (18) vs. Australia’s Raygun 0 (0), Group B
Japan’s Ami 2 (18) vs. Morocco’s Elmamouny 0 (0), Group C
China’s Ying Zi 2 (16) vs. Italy’s Anti 0 (2), Group C
Ukraine’s Kate 1 (12) vs. Japan’s Ayumi 1 (6), Group D
Ukraine’s Stefani 2 (12) vs. France’s Carlota 0 (6), Group D
China’s 671 2 (14) vs. Portugal’s Vanessa 0 (4), Group A
Netherlands’ India 2 (18) vs. USA’s Sunny 0, Group A
Lithuania’s Nicka 2 (18) vs. Australia’s Raygun 0 (0), Group B
USA’s Logistx 1 (10) vs. France’s Syssy 1 (8), Group B
Japan’s Ami 2 (17) vs. China’s Ying Zi 0 (1), Group C
Italy’s Anti 2 (16) vs. Morocco’s Elmamouny 0 (2), Group C
Japan’s Ayumi 2 (15) vs. France’s Carlota 0 (3), Group D
Ukraine’s Stefani 1 (10) vs. Ukraine’s Kate 1 (8), Group D
Netherlands’ India 2 (15) vs. China’s 671 0 (3), Group A
USA’s Sunny 2 (13) vs. Portugal’s Vanessa 0 (5)

Team Refugee athlete wears ‘Free Afghan Women’ cape 

Manizha Talash, or “B-Girl Talash,” represented the Refugee Olympic Team at these Games and participated in the first battle in Olympic history during a pre-tournament qualifier. During the third round, Talash – who now resides in Spain – donned a “Free Afghan Women” cape.

The cape appeared to be a blatant violation of Rule 50 of the Olympic charter, which prohibits political protests or messaging on the field of play. The IOC, which created the Refugee Olympic Team, did not immediately reply to a request for comment. And Talash was whisked past print reporters in the mixed zone without taking questions.

‘What she did on stage I think is enough,’ a man accompanying her said.

The Netherlands’ India Sardjoe, or “B-Girl India,” defeated Talash in the three-round pre-qualifier to eliminate the Refugee Olympic Team breaker from the competition.

Netherlands’ India wins opening breaking battle

Manizha Talash, “B-Girl Talash,” represented the refugee team at these Games and participated in the first battle in Olympic history during a pre-tournament qualifier. During the third round, Talash – who now resides in Spain – donned a “Free Afghan Women” cape. 

The Netherlands’ India Sardjoe, “B-Girl India,” defeated her 27-0 in the three-round event. 

Snoop Dogg opens up breaking competition

The inaugural breaking competition began in a most fitting way: With Snoop Dogg banging a staff into the ground thrice. Before every event in Paris, a guest of honor is brought out to do what has is called the “les trois coups, s’il vous plait,” which directly translates to “three hits, please.” The ritual is a celebration of France’s theater culture, according to Eurosport. Snoop performed his duties with aplomb before the B-Girls were introduced. 

When did breaking start in the Olympics?

It became an Olympic sport for the 2024 Summer Games.

Breaking at Olympics rules, format, scoring

It’s a bit confusing — and completely new in the world of breaking. Rather than a straight-up bracket of one-on-one battles, the preliminary round will be round-robin style: Four groups of four breakers, with each one going two rounds against the other three in their group. From there, the top two B-Girls in each group — as determined by who won the most rounds — will advance to the quarterfinals. The quarters, semis and finals will all be three rounds in a traditional bracket style.

Competitors will be judged on five categories: Technique, execution, musicality, originality and vocabulary. The scoring is fairly subjective, with each judge simply voting for the B-boy or B-Girl who they think performed best in each category. There is no numerical scoring system like you might see in figure skating or gymnastics.

Vocabulary is one criteria to keep an eye on as the competition progresses. The judges want to see breakers display a variety of moves and styles across rounds. If they’re doing the same stuff in the final battle that they did in the first battle, they would theoretically be dinged for that.

Breakdancing Olympics 2024 Team USA

Sunny Choi (or B-Girl Sunny) and Logan Edra (or B-Girl Logistx) will represent Team USA on the women’s side. Choi won the 2023 Pan American Games, while Edra has had past success in Red Bull’s international breaking competition, BC One. Sunny came in ranked 10th, while Logan clocked in at 14th, according to World DanceSport Federation.

Who picks breaking music at Olympics?

The DJ, as you would imagine, is pivotal to every breaking competition.  

“The DJ is everything,” B-boy Jeffro, whose legal name is Jeffrey Louis, said in a news conference this week. “The DJ is the vibe provider. The DJ is the one that’s going to challenge you on the floor.”

The DJs for Olympic competition are DJ Fleg of the United States and DJ Plash of Poland.

The International Olympic Committee has licensed about 400 songs for use during competition this weekend, USA Breaking officials said. And Fleg and Plash said in a social media post that the songs range in variety and style, from old-school hip-hop to funk and even newly-created beats.

Sunny Choi: B-girl to watch

Sunny Choi was drunk when she first encountered breaking. She was in her first year at Penn and was feeling a bit lost, as most college freshmen do. She was out late after imbibing and she saw some dancers breaking on campus and thought, “Oh, that looks fun.” The group of dancers invited her to practice and she quickly immersed herself in the scene at Penn and in the greater Philly breaking community. The former gymnast loved being upside down, but there was more to it for her.

“Over time, I really fell in love with exploring my body’s physical limits and artistic expressions,” the 34-year-old first-time Olympian said. “I had never really done anything creative in my life before.”

Despite her love for breaking, she stuck to a corporate track for the job and financial security and worked her way up to being a creative director at Estée Lauder. But when breaking was announced as an Olympic sport, she decided to bet on herself, quite her corporate job and went all in on breaking. She’s now headed to the Olympics at 34 years old. After the Games, she wants to work to open up a dance studio/community center in Queens.

Breaking moves: What to know

There’s more to it than you might think. 

The most obvious moves are known as power moves — big flips, spins and other acrobatic elements. Then there’s “top rock,” which is the dancing and posturing that you’ll see when breakers are upright. But there are also a bunch of little elements in between — footwork, floorwork, freezes and “get down,” which is how a breaker transitions from top rocking to the floor.

Much of breaking is in the nuances and transitions between elements. The best will be smooth in their dynamics, which is how they transition from standing up to the floor and back. And they’ll be able to do different components in opposite directions, or with slight variances to make them new.

Breaking results: Round robin Group A battles

China’s 671 2 (16) vs. USA’s Sunny 0 (2)
Netherlands’ India 2 (15) vs. Portugal’s Vanessa 9 (3)
China’s 671 2 (14) vs. Portugal’s Vanessa 0 (4)
Netherlands’ India 2 (18) vs. USA’s Sunny 0 (0)
Netherlands’ India 2 (15) vs. China’s 671 0 (3)
USA’s Sunny 2 (13) vs. Portugal’s Vanessa 0 (5)

Breaking results: Round robin Group B battles

Lithuania’s Nicka 1 (11) vs. France’s Syssy 1 (7)
USA’s Logistx 2 (18) vs. Australia’s Raygun 0 (0)
Lithuania’s Nicka 2 (13) vs. USA’s Logistix 0 (5)
France’s Syssy 2 (18) vs. Australia’s Raygun 0 (0)
Lithuania’s Nicka 2 (18) vs. Australia’s Raygun 0 (0)
USA’s Logistx 1 (10) vs. France’s Syssy 1 (8)

Breaking results: Round robin Group C battles

Japan’s Ami 2 (17) vs. Italy’s Anti 0 (1)
China’s Ying Zi 2 (18) vs. Morocco’s Elmamouny 0 (0)
Japan’s Ami 2 (18) vs. Morocco’s Elmamouny 0 (0)
China’s Ying Zi 2 (16) vs. Italy’s Anti 0 (2)
Japan’s Ami 2 (17) vs. China’s Ying Zi 0 (1)
Italy’s Anti 2 (16) vs. Morocco’s Elmamouny 0 (2)

Breaking results: Round robin Group D battles

Japan’s Ayumi 1 (10) vs. Ukraine’s Stefani 1 (8)
Ukraine’s Kate 2 (15) vs. France’s Carlota 0 (3)
Ukraine’s Kate 1 (12) vs. Japan’s Ayumi 1 (6)
Ukraine’s Stefani 2 (12) vs. France’s Carlota 0 (6)
Japan’s Ayumi 2 (15) vs. France’s Carlota 0 (3)
Ukraine’s Stefani 1 (10) vs. Ukraine’s Kate 1 (8)

COSTA MESA, Calif. – Maybe the big decision looming for Raiders coach Antonio Pierce to determine the winner of a well, less-filling quarterback competition, isn’t so complicated.

Just listen to the participants.

As Gardner Minshew II put it following a camp practice this week: “The big thing, for whoever’s out there, we’ve got to take care of the ball.”

Aidan O’Connell, mindful that the recipe includes complementing a stiff defensive unit, expressed it as such: “It’s the quarterback’s job to take care of the ball in any sense, whether your defense is really good or whether it’s not.”

Take care of the football.

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That’s easier said than done, which was demonstrated during one of the final sessions of the California portion of the Raiders camp, when Minshew and O’Connell combined for four turnovers.

Sure, stuff happens. It was just practice. Yet this came after the quarterbacks combined for three picks during a scrimmage the previous Saturday.

During Tuesday’s practice, O’Connell threw an interception on a telegraphed throw during a three-on-three drill, which is so rare. A few minutes later, Minshew was picked while attempting to squeeze a throw into traffic to connect with a seam route.

He knows.

“If you win the turnover battle, you win 70 to 75% of your games,” said Minshew, a gunslinger with his fourth team as he heads into his sixth NFL season.

It’s no wonder that Pierce, in his first season on the job after finishing out last season as the interim coach, is in no rush to make the call. It is hardly the most enticing quarterback competition, pitting a young classic dropback passer in O’Connell versus a journeyman, Minshew, who can use his feet to extend plays.

No, don’t call it a classic competition. Instead, call it a dilemma.

Earlier in the week, Pierce said that neither quarterback had established himself as the clear frontrunner. On Wednesday, as the Raiders were on the verge of closing out their camp and prepared for a trip to Minnesota to open the preseason, Pierce was just as adamant when asked for an update.

“Status quo,” grumbled Pierce, a former NFL linebacker.

As of Thursday, Pierce wouldn’t declare which quarterback would start the preseason opener against the Vikings, and the depth chart released by the team didn’t provide any clues, either. The first team quarterback was listed as a “slash” situation with Minshew and O’Connell (whom Pierce stuck with as a rookie last season after replacing Josh McDaniels as coach) listed with the first team.

Pierce has known all along that the job wouldn’t be won solely on the practice field and behind the scenes in the meetings. With new coordinator Luke Getsy installing a system that leans heavily on play-action passes, Pierce wants to see the quarterbacks going full-speed in the stadiums, so to speak.

Interestingly, neither quarterback declared that the preseason performances might be the ultimate swing factor – and they both could be wrong in that thinking, if the battle for the job is as close as Pierce suggests, and if they don’t protect the football.

“I’m not sure how they’re going to go about doing that,” said O’Connell, a Purdue product drafted in the fourth round in 2023. “It’s really not my decision. Just trying to take it day by day. That’s what it takes to play your best ball.”

Minshew had a similar response when asked how he sensed the preseason would be a factor for determining the job.

“I have no clue, man,” he said. “That’s not my decision.”

Pierce, though, makes no bones about what he needs to see from his quarterbacks during the three preseason games, beginning on Saturday afternoon. Although he hasn’t revealed who will start, Pierce plans to play O’Connell and Minshew for one quarter each during the first half. First-year pro Anthony Brown and rookie Carter Bradley will likely split the reps in the second half.

“This preseason game will be very telling,” Pierce said of the O’Connell-Minshew battle. “I want to see these guys take care of the ball, manage the team, take care of situational football.”

In the end, it’s possible that the winner of the job might be a winner by default. That’s what happens when neither quarterback blows away the competition. Pierce’s hand might be forced to take the safest pick – i.e. the quarterback less prone to make game-swinging errors that puts the defense in a bind.

Pierce earned his shot to keep the job by not only going 5-4 last season after replacing McDaniels, but also in the manner in which he injected a new energy and passion into the team. Now he seeks to add layers to such a culture while envisioning a hard-nosed brand of football. To compete in an AFC West division dominated by the Chiefs for several years, Pierce wants the Raiders to complement a potent defense with a physical offense that can use its running game to wear down opponents and enable a play-action passing game. The premium on protecting the football is essential for that recipe to work.

And the recipe doesn’t include flip-flopping on the quarterback.

“When we make a decision, that’s going to be our quarterback,” Pierce said.

Someone asked Pierce what he’s learned about being a head coach, given the experience as an interim, the offseason sessions and about a dozen practices in running his first camp.

“Patience,” Pierce responded.

No doubt, he needs it to draw on for the big quarterback decision.

“Don’t rush decisions,” he added. “Don’t be emotional, because you’d make a lot of bad decisions.”

In other words, when it comes to settling on a quarterback, it hasn’t happened yet.

Why would a fighter grieving the death of his son head back into the MMA cage?

It’s a question this week that hung over Francis Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion.

Three months after announcing his 15-month-old young son had died of an undiagnosed brain malformation, Ngannou made another announcement.

On Oct. 19, he will fight Renan Ferreira, the current heavyweight champion on the Professional Fighters League (PFL), in a return to mixed martial arts as part of a PFL pay-per-view card. The site of the fight has yet to be announced, and Ngannou’s full motivation to fight the 6-foot-8 Brazilian was open to speculation.

There is the matter of contractual obligation. Ngannou, who’s from Cameroon, has a multi-fight deal with the PFL.

But during a video interview with USA TODAY Sports, Ngannou said something else is drawing him back to the cage for his first fight since the death of his son, Kobe.

“I didn’t choose fighting as a profession,’’ Ngannou, 37, told USA TODAY Spots. “Fighting for me was a passion.

“I love fighting since I was kid, since I could even before walking. I love fighting and then, yeah, and at some point you need to have that feeling to get there to share life again.’’

It is a feeling that apparently escaped Ngannou April 27, the day his son died in Cameroon.

“This fight might be the thing that would really give me that feeling to be alive,’’ he said. “Be that in that environment that is in mind. Not that I will forget what happened. I’ll (never) forget the loss of my kid, of my boy, but maybe you can still have that feeling. Connect with that place that’s yours that you belong to.’’ 

Redefining devastation

The last time the sports world saw Ngannou, he was regaining consciousness inside a boxing ring.

Anthony Joshua, the former heavyweight champion, had knocked him down three times − and knocked him out cold in the second round of their fight March 8. It was a stunning development.

That prior October, in his pro boxing debut, Ngannou knocked down Tyson Fury, then the lineal world heavyweight champion. The bout ended in a split-decision loss, but that seemed almost inconsequential as Ngannou headed into his second pro boxing bout against Joshua with high expectations before the second-round knockout loss.

Devastating was a word used to describe the setback before real devastation struck.

The month after the fight, Ngannou has said, his son had trouble breathing. On two occasions, Ngannou told Joe Rogan on Rogan’s podcast, doctors failed to diagnosis Kobe’s brain malformation that resulted in his death.

Ngannou said he began to wonder if the world was ending as he was engulfed by powerlessness.

‘You get to the point that you think you are strong,” Ngannou told USA TODAY Sports. ‘That you think you have overcome a lot of things. And then all of a sudden you realize that you know are not that strong. You are just like everybody, or even less.”

Because the physical strength of the Cameroonian fighter with bulging biceps and 12 knockouts in 17 MMA victories, it proved to be of no help during medical crisis.

‘You couldn’t fight for your son,” Ngannou said.

How will it all play out

During the video interview with USA TODAY Sports, Ngannou held up a photo of his son.

“I was waiting for him to be strong on his feet so we can go play soccer and stuff and planning, building a basketball court for him,’’ Ngannou said. “Or the stuff that I was doing thinking already of his education, where he should go to school, where should he have the proper education.’’

Now, there’s still the sense of fragility. Why plan in a world when life can end in an instant.

But as he’s begun to prepare for his next fight, against the massive Brazilian, Ngannou also seems ready to welcome the unknown.

“I don’t know how this is going to play out,’’ he said. “I don’t know how the new version of me can look. But I can’t know by just sitting here.’’

Following a tough double bogey on Hole 15 at Le Golf National that took herself out of a tie for first place on the leaderboard, the United States golfer ended her Round 3 at the 2024 Paris Olympics with an eagle on the challenging Par 5 18th hole.

Take a look at Zhang’s shot that set up her eagle on the 18th hole, which put her at 7-under overall and tied for third on the leaderboard heading into Saturday’s final round:

‘I had 191 (yards) to the pin. It was honestly quite a heft six iron but the wind was helping me and I just thought, ‘Okay let’s just hit it on the left towards that 18 building and see where it goes from there’,’ Zhang told Golf Channel following her round on what her approach was on No. 18.

2024 Olympic medals: Who is leading the medal count? Follow along as we track the medals for every sport.

‘It was such a good shot and I did not expect it to be that close.’

Here’s another look at Zhang’s second swing that set up her eagle putt:

It was the second eagle of the day for Zhang, who is ranked the No. 9 golfer in the world, as she hit a beautiful eagle putt on Hole 14.

Zhang will now play for a chance to win her first Olympic medal on Saturday, where she will open up Saturday’s round two strokes back from first place and gold. Saturday’s Round 4 of women’s golf at the Paris Games begins at 3 a.m. ET.