NANTERRE, France — The title of fastest swimmer in the world now belongs to Australia’s Cameron McEvoy, Friday’s Olympic gold medalist in the men’s 50-meter freestyle, the shortest and fastest event in the pool. 

McEvoy won with a time of 21.25 in a race that’s all about brute strength and power. He out-touched Benjamin Proud of Great Britain, who won silver, and France’s Florent Manaudou, who won bronze. 

Team USA’s three-time Olympian Caeleb Dressel, 27 — who was the defending Olympic champion in the 50, one of his eight total gold medals — finished sixth. At U.S. Olympic trials in June, he proved he was the fastest sprinter in America but couldn’t top the speedy international field at Paris La Défense Arena.

Dressel’s 21.07 Olympic record from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics remains intact.

In Thursday’s 50 free semifinal, Dressel qualified fifth and .20 seconds behind top qualifier Benjamin Proud of Great Britain. In the semis, all eight finalists qualified within .26 seconds of each other, which made Olympic medals pretty much anyone’s to win. 

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

Brazilian swimmer César Cielo’s world record of 20.91 from 2009 still stands. 

At the Paris Olympics, Dressel previously won his eighth Olympic gold medal as part of the men’s 4×100-meter freestyle relay team. 

PARIS — The U.S. men’s soccer team is leaving the Olympics without a medal, missing out on what the Americans believed was a reachable goal.

At least they got here.

Not in a rah-rah, “Go USA!” way. The Paris Games are the first time the American men have made the Olympics since 2008, and this summer is a reminder of just how costly those absences have been. If the USMNT is ever going to be a World Cup contender — a real one, not a pretender like the one that got punched in the mouth in Copa America this summer — it needs to be at every Olympics.

The senior USMNT can play all the friendlies it wants and talk about the challenges of Concacaf qualifying. But nothing will prepare them for the World Cup better than having young players who come to the senior team already knowing about the demands of a knockout-round tournament, with its travel demands, hostile environments and elite competition.

“It does help in that regard,” Walker Zimmerman said after the Americans were knocked out in the quarterfinals Friday in a 4-0 loss to Morocco.

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

“Big knockout tournaments, you need those games to grow as a group,” said Zimmerman, the only one of the three overage players on this roster who was on the 2022 World Cup team. “I’m thankful these guys are going to have that opportunity, and hopefully they take that experience and use it in their future World Cups.”

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Not everyone on this team will be in the mix for the 2026 World Cup, which the United States is co-hosting with Canada and Mexico. But a handful of them will be. And when they go up against an Argentina or a France or a Spain, they’ll be able to draw on the lessons from this tournament.

Morocco was the better team Friday, and there’s no shame in losing to the Atlas Lions. But in both their losses in France, the Americans collapsed in the second half.

Just as they did in the group-stage opener against France, the U.S. men were able to hang with Morocco for the first 60ish minutes. Then things fell apart. The Atlas Lions scored two goals in a seven-minute span in the second half, capitalizing on U.S. mistakes on both.

In the 63rd, Abde Ezzalzouli dribbled up the sideline, cut into the middle of the field and got by Zimmerman before sliding the ball to Akhomach, who buried it. Seven minutes later, Hakimi won a header over Kevin Paredes, then had a clear path to the goal before scoring on a worm-burner that skirted along the inside edge of the net.

Morocco’s other two goals came off U.S. penalties. Soufiane Rahimi scored in the 28th minute, after Nathan Harriel clipped Rahimi in the back of the calf. Mehdi Maouhoub in second-half stoppage time after Miles Robinson was whistled for a handball in the area.

Morocco finished the game with a whopping 8-1 advantage on shots on goal and had eight corners to the U.S. men’s three.

“In this game and the game against France, there were details that changed the game. And obviously, after that, the result really went against us,” U.S. coach Marko Mitrovic said. “When we are down 1-0 against teams like France or Morocco, how we can sustain that longer and make the game more difficult?”

The Americans also got a taste of how tense the atmosphere can be at a World Cup. Yes, U.S. fans travel well. But they don’t compare to fans of Argentina or Brazil.

Or Morocco.

Two hours before kickoff Friday, the streets around Parc des Princes were filled with Morocco fans. Much of the stadium was bathed in red and the U.S. players were greeted with jeers and whistles when they were introduced. After each Morocco goal, fans set off smoke bombs.

“With the crowd being on their side, we wanted to silence them early and we failed to do so,” midfielder Jack McGlynn said. “And they kind of punished us.”

Yes. But the worst punishment was not getting to the Olympics in the last 16 years. And the entire U.S. men’s system has suffered because of it.

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PARIS — They started chanting his name several minutes before he even entered the arena Friday night. They waved French flags and took out their phones, some clapping their hands, some clutching cardboard cutouts of his face or signs that read ‘Teddy Winner’ and ‘Ici C’est Paris, Ici C’est Riner’ − ‘This Is Paris, This Is Riner.’

You might not have heard of the man who caused all this commotion. That’s OK. His name is Teddy Riner, and he’s a French judoka − a larger-than-life athlete in this niche sport, which barely registers in the United States but has become immensely popular here in France. And on Friday, he achieved the sort of immortal sports moment that few athletes can realistically dream of, let alone achieve.

In the Olympic final, of perhaps his final Games, less than two miles from the neighborhood in Paris where he grew up, Riner won his third individual Olympic gold medal in judo and became the most decorated athlete in the history of his sport. His victory in the final − a sudden, sweeping takedown of South Korea’s Kim Min-jong − came exactly one week after he received the prestigious assignment of helping light the Olympic cauldron at the opening ceremony.

Riner, 35, is the first athlete since Australian Cathy Freeman in 2000 to both light the cauldron and go on to win gold. He called it ‘my perfect day.’

‘It’s a dream,’ he said. ‘A real dream.’

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

When his win became official, Riner bowed to his opponent then fell to his knees and flexed his chest like Superman, letting out a triumphant scream. He climbed down off the mat and flashed three fingers, and a wide smile. Retired French basketball player Tony Parker met him with a hug. President Emmanuel Macron followed.

Six Olympic medals, the most ever by a judoka

Riner’s victory is likely to be an iconic scene from these Games, remniscient of one that had unfolded 24 hours earlier at an arena across town, where American gymnast Simone Biles won her second individual all-around gold.

While their sports and bodies could not be much more different − Biles is 4 feet 8, while Riner is listed at 6 feet 8 and 309 pounds − both are all-time icons at perhaps their all-time peaks, concentrated greatness on display.

The sweetner with Riner’s moment was that it happened at home − within walking distance, even, of the Aquaboulevard neighborhood that his family moved to when he was a child. In the U.S., he might be a relative unknown. But in France, and in Paris in particular, he is often hailed as ‘Le Plus Grand’ − The Greatest.

Since making his international debut in 2006, Riner has been vacilated between being close to unbeatable and actually unbeatable. Between 2010 and 2020, he won a whopping 154 matches without a loss. He’s earned five European titles, 11 world championships and, with Friday’s victory, he’s now up to six Olympic medals − the most ever by a judoka. He won golds in London and Rio, sandwiched by individual bronzes in Beijing and Tokyo. (His other medal was in a team event.)

Riner, who has 1.4 million followers on Instagram, has become such an indomitable figure in his sport that two of three people he shared the podium with Friday described him as their idol.

‘When I was starting to train judo, I was watching and following Teddy Riner,’ said bronze medalist Temur Rakhimov of Tajikistan, whom Riner beat in the semifinals. ‘This is a dream for everybody, to compete with Teddy Riner.’

Riner’s influence on judo’s popularity in France

Riner, along with two-time Olympic gold medalist David Douillet, is one of the primary reasons that the sport itself has become so popular in France. According to the French Judo Federation, there are about 530,000 judokas in the country, spread across more than 5,000 clubs. Japan, where judo originated, is now the only country that has won more Olympic medals in the sport than France.

Combine that popularity with Riner’s greatness and you get the frenetic, glorious atmosphere at Champ-de-Mars Arena on Friday night, where space was so limited that reporters wishing to cover the medal bouts needed to request special tickets − something that usually only happens in marquee sports like swimming or gymnastics. If the arena holds 6,900 fans, as stated, then probably 5,000 of them were there for Riner. Even security guards and volunteers took brief breaks from their duties, snapping pictures on their phones to document the day.

Despite that pressure, of competing at home after lighting the Olympic cauldron, and some nervy moments in earlier rounds, Riner repeatedly described Friday as ‘a perfect day.’ He said he wished that all athletes could experience a moment like the one he’d just had, celebrating a historic gold medal in front of an adoring hometown crowd.

‘When we have perfect Olympics like what I did today, you’re happy and you want to actually enjoy the ride,’ Riner said. ‘You want it to last, for sure.’

Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on social media @Tom_Schad.

Hockey Hall of Fame goalie Dominik Hašek is calling on NHL team owners to not let Russian players compete in the league.

Hašek, a two-time Stanley Cup winner, said today NHL owners should ‘not let Russian citizens, Russian players, step on the ice’ in a video said to be from Volia Space in Parc de la Villette – the site for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games’ Park of Nations. He urged the NHL and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to keep Russian athletes out of competition due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

‘The NHL should, and could make a decision,’ Hašek said from Volia Space. ‘It’s not only about [NHL Commissioner] Gary Bettman. There are 31 owners of NHL teams, and I think that those people are the most responsible. They can sit in their room, and they can vote and make a decision, but they do not want to make that decision.’

These are the latest comments from an all-time hockey great who has recently criticized the IOC and other government bodies for letting athletes from Russia compete in the games in the first place.

Who is Dominik Hašek?

A native of Czechoslovakia (now Czechia – more widely known as the Czech Republic), Hašek is one of the greatest goalies in league history. He spent 16 years in the NHL, most notably with the Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings.

Nicknamed ‘The Dominator,’ he won the Vezina Trophy for the NHL’s top goalie five times (1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001). He won the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player twice in 1997 and 1998 and holds the highest career save percentage in NHL history at 0.9223.

He’s a two-time Olympian and played a huge role in Czechia’s gold medal in the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. He allowed just six goals in six games to earn the country’s first Winter Olympics gold medal.

Hašek’s comments on Russia in the Paris Olympics

Hašek initially spoke out against Russian athletes playing in the Paris Olympics on the first day of the games.

‘Unfortunately, many Russian athletes who have never (officially) condemned the Russian imperialist war and Russian crimes can participate in the Olympic Games,’ Hašek said in a post on X, translated from Czech. ‘Their participation (public appearance) will be a huge advertisement for the actions of the Russian country.’

Though he argued against their presence, Hašek did not blame the Russian athletes themselves for participating. Instead, he blamed IOC officials who he says could’ve banned ‘this war advertisement,’ something he reiterated Friday during his speech from Volia Space.

‘This is a huge advertisement for Russia’s war of aggression and Russian crimes, including the genocide of Ukrainian children,’ Hašek said in a video from Volia Space. ‘The Olympic Games have one of the biggest impacts. By allowing many Russian athletes to perform at the Paris Olympics, who have not officially publicly condemned the Russian imperialist war and Russian crimes, these Olympics have become a huge advertisement for all Russian crimes in Ukraine.’

In addition to the IOC, Hašek specifically called out the European Parliament and French legislators for allowing Russian athletes to compete in the Paris Olympics.

‘All of them had the opportunity to submit and approve a law or a regulation banning the entry or public appearance of Russian citizens on the territory of France,’ he said in his speech. ‘All these people, both the IOC officials and politicians elected by us citizens, had the opportunity to stop this huge advertisement for the Russian war and Russian crimes.’

He acknowledged that many athletes may be afraid to speak out against the ongoing war in Ukraine out of fear for their friends and families. Because of that fear, he called on other retired athletes to speak out in support.

‘You are all in a different position, and you could, and should speak up,’ he said in a video Friday. ‘You are not employees of anyone, and especially for the great athletes of the world. Be open.’

Russia’s presence at the Paris Olympic Games Olympic Games

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 four days after the 2022 Winter Olympics, the IOC has banned both Russian and Belarus from sending national teams to the Olympic Games.

Athletes from Russia already had to compete under the ‘Olympic Athletes from Russia’ designation in the 2018 Winter Olympics and ‘Russian Olympic Committee’ designation in 2021 due to a doping scandal.

What is Volia Space?

Volia Space is the hospitality house organized by the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine in the Park of Nations area at Parc de la Villette.

‘In this Team Ukraine Hospitality House, every athlete can express themselves freely,’ Vadym Guttsait, president of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine, said prior to the Olympics. ‘Often, actions speak louder than words; raising the flag will demonstrate to the world that Ukraine has endured, it has been, and always will be.’

The Volia Space is set up near Czech House, the area for Hašek’s home country.

USA Today has reached out to Volia Space for comment and will update with any further information.

WWE’s premier event of the summer is ready to begin the party.

SummerSlam 2024 has arrived and it’s shaping up to be an extraordinary event fit to be held in an NFL stadium. Arguably the second-biggest premium live event on the WWE calendar behind WrestleMania, SummerSlam will have a stacked card with all of the singles championships on the line.

Nia Jax and Gunther will cash in their championship opportunities, and Cody Rhodes will defend his Undisputed WWE Championship against Solo Sikoa in another battle against The Bloodline. There will be one non-title match, but it’s a match all fans are excited to see: CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre, and there’s potential for plenty of surprises on Saturday night.

When is SummerSlam 2024?

SummerSlam 2024 is Saturday, Aug. 3 at 7 p.m. ET.

When does SummerSlam 2024 preshow start?

Countdown to SummerSlam 2024 begins at 4 p.m. ET.

Where is SummerSlam 2024?

SummerSlam 2024 is taking place at Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio.

How to watch SummerSlam 2024: TV channel, streaming

The event can be streamed on Peacock, but you must have their premium or premium-plus subscription to watch. Internationally, it will be available on WWE Network.

How to watch SummerSlam 2024 preshow

Countdown to SummerSlam 2024 will be available to watch on Peacock, as well as WWE’s social channels and WWE’s YouTube channel for free.

SummerSlam 2024 match card

Matches not in order

Undisputed WWE Championship match: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Solo Sikoa
World Heavyweight Championship match: Damian Priest (c) vs. Gunther
WWE Women’s Championship match: Bayley (c) vs. Nia Jax
Women’s World Championship match: Liv Morgan (c) vs. Rhea Ripley
Intercontinental Championship match: Sami Zayn (c) vs. Bron Breakker
United States Championship match: Logan Paul (c) vs. LA Knight
Drew McIntyre vs. CM Punk (with Seth Rollins as special guest referee)

SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France – BMX racer Kye Whyte of Great Britain was taken off the course on a stretcher after crashing in the second run of men’s semifinals Friday at the Paris Olympics.

Whyte was injured seconds into his second run of the night when he clipped the back tire of another racer after the first jump.

Whyte finished fifth in Heat 2 of the first run of the semifinals in a time of 38.808 seconds.

He won silver in BMX racing at the Tokyo Olympics.

American racer Kamren Larsen also crashed in his second run of the semifinals. Larsen walked off the course under his own power after the crash, which occurred when he hit the elbow of another rider on the first turn.

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

Larsen’s teammate, Cameron Wood, completed both semifinals and could qualify for the finals.

The top eight racers in the 16-racer field after three semifinal runs advance to the finals.

The USA TODAY app brings you every Team USA medal — right when it happens.Download for full Olympics coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and much more.

NANTERRE, France — Australian star Kaylee McKeown swept the women’s backstroke events at the Olympics for the second straight Games, winning Friday’s 200-meter backstroke final with a time of 2:03.73, an Olympic record.

She also won the women’s 100-meter backstroke — she finished ahead of Team USA’s Regan Smith with silver — earlier this week and was golden in both events three years ago at the Tokyo Olympics. 

Smith finished second to win silver with a 2:04.26 race, while Canadian Kylie Masse was fast enough for bronze. 

In Thursday’s semifinals, two-time Olympian Phoebe Bacon was the top qualifier, .25 seconds ahead of McKeown and .52 seconds faster than Great Britain’s Honey Osrin in third. Smith, 22, qualified sixth in the semi, which was about an hour after her silver medal-winning performance in the women’s 200-meter butterfly.

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

Sharon Firisua’s 2024 Paris Olympics were a sprint. She probably would have preferred a marathon. 

The Solomon Islands’ top marathon runner tackled her first sprint race in the women’s 100-meter on Friday on track and field’s biggest stage. Firisua, 30, decided to chase her Olympic dreams no matter the event, and the Olympics’ wildcard system allowed her to do just that.

Usually a distance runner, Firisua competed in the 5,000m in the 2016 Rio Olympics and the marathon in 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she placed 72nd with a time of 3:02:10. This time around, though, she used the starting blocks for the first time, finishing last in the 100m preliminary round with a personal best time of 14.31.

Firisua holds the Solomon Islands’ record in the mile, 3000m, 3000m steeplechase, 5000m, 10,000m and marathon and was the country’s flag bearer in Tokyo and Paris. 

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

When Firisua failed to qualify for Paris in the marathon, Solomon Islands officials awarded her the nation’s sole wildcard spot in the women’s 100m competition, the AP reported. Wildcard spots, or universality places, are allocated to smaller, underrepresented nations at the Olympics to allow some of their athletes to compete even if they fail to meet the other qualifying requirements. 

Firisua is just one of two athletes representing the Solomon Islands. The South Pacific nation also sent swimmer Isabella Millar. 

However, while Firisua’s participation certainly made for a compelling narrative it did not come without controversy. The nation’s leading sprinters questioned why they had been snubbed in favor of Firisua, who had never competed a distance below 1500m at the top level.

Jovita Arunia, a sprinter from the Solomon Islands whose 100m season best of 13.15 seconds is over one second faster than Firisua’s, voiced frustration with the selection process. 

“We’re the (actual) sprinters … I don’t know what went wrong, it’s unbelievable,’ Arunia told ABC Australia. “I will not compete anymore because of what they did.”

The USA TODAY app brings you every Team USA medal — right when it happens. Download for full Olympics coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and much more.