PARIS – For the first time in 16 years, the U.S. men’s gymnastics team has won an Olympic medal.

Buoyed by a resurgent performance from national champion Brody Malone, who competed in five of the six events, Team USA held off Great Britain and Ukraine to win bronze at the 2024 Olympics. Japan surged to gold in the final rotation, while China took silver.

‘I can’t even describe it,’ said Brett McClure, a silver medalist with the U.S. men in 2004 and now the team’s high-performance director. ‘I was rooting for them the whole way, every single routine just kept getting better and better and better.’

It’s the first time the American men have been on the Olympic podium since 2008, when Jonathan Horton led them to bronze. And ultimately, they finished closer to second-place China (1.3 points off) than they did fourth-place Great Britain (2.2 points).

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Stephen Nedoroscik, a pommel horse specialist whose only contribution to the team score came on the very last routine of the night, helped clinch the bronze for Team USA with a solid performance. But every member of the team hit clutch routines, including Paul Juda and Asher Hong on vault and Frederick Richard on high bar.

‘Stephen was in the hardest seat of the entire competition, being last up on the last event, knowing that if you hit a routine, you’re probably going to medal,’ McClure said. ‘And he did it.’

The Americans finished fifth at each of the previous three Summer Olympics, and they finished fifth again in Saturday’s qualifying. The difference on Monday largely revolved around Malone.

Malone, 24, had been expected to qualify for the all-around individual final and perhaps even contend for a medal, but he had a dreadful showing in qualifying – with falls on pommel horse, floor and even high bar, the event in which he won a world championship in 2022. It was such a jarring performance that some of his teammates later said he apologized to them afterwards.

‘I know Brody’s a dog and a competitor,’ Hong said. ‘So I know he’s going to come into team finals and full send.’

And he did. Malone improved upon or matched his performances on every apparatus, including a significantly better showing on high bar that helped keep the U.S. ahead of its bronze rivals. After falling twice on the apparatus in qualifying, he looked much more comfortable – and stuck the landing – for a score that was nearly two full points higher than his score Saturday.

‘They went out and they did their job,’ said Sam Mikulak, a three-time Olympian who now coaches Malone and Nedoroscik. ‘They went 18 for 18 … the part we’re most proud of is they didn’t count any falls. They showed heart. They showed heart. They enjoyed every step of it.

Hong, Juda and Richard, meanwhile, each competed in four events – each pumping up their teammates, and the crowd, between routines. Chants of ‘U-S-A!’ rang out at Bercy Arena at multiple points over the course of the night.

‘Once we got to pommel horse, that’s when it became real,’ said Syque Caesar, who also coaches Malone and Nedoroscik. ‘We started crunching numbers and we’re like, ‘Just stay on this horse and we can do this.”

Although China and Japan were long considered the favorites, the U.S. knew for months that it would benefit from the absence of Russia, which is banned from team competitions at these Olympics because of its invasion of Ukraine. The Americans knew the bronze medal was there for the taking. And they took it.

‘We’re trending or trending in the right direction,’ McClure said. ‘Obviously Japan and China are still in another category …  This is gonna be motivating. Extremely motivating. So, tonight, celebrate like you know we did something we haven’t done in so long, since 2008.

What Paul Juda said after Team USA won bronze

Here’s what Paul Juda said after the U.S. men won bronze in the team final: ‘The crowd chanting ‘U-S-A!’ is invigorating and you can’t you can’t ask for a better feeling. That gives you goose bumps. That tells you you’re doing the right things and after each routine when everybody’s gone, you have an idea it might happen but we only really knew after the last set.’

‘Just hope that it shows promise, shows capability and shows that when you put trust in one another and you put the hard work in that things do happen.’

Stephen Nedoroscik dazzles on pommel horse

Stephen Nedoroscik closed out the U.S. men’s rotation on pommel horse, nailing his routine and enciting a massive cheer from the crowd, including a chant of ‘USA! USA!’ His teammates threw him in the air in celebration. He earned a score of 14.866.

U.S. men’s gymnastics in medal position entering last rotation

The U.S. was sitting in third place with just one rotation left to go. That last rotation was in a notoriously tricky event: Pommel horse.

The U.S. had a 1.8-point lead over Ukraine, which was in fourth place, after a solid showing on floor exercise. Asher Hong, Paul Juda and Frederick Richard all notched scores about 14.100 on floor, with Richard’s routine the highlight. 

U.S. men’s gymnastics has monster high bar set 

What a difference a couple of days make. The U.S. men were in third place with two events to go thanks to a monster performance on high bar. 

Frederick Richard and Brody Malone improved their scores from qualifying by nearly three points, including a hit by Malone. The 2022 world champ on high bar has been struggling on his signature event all summe, but he came through when it counted most. And Richard was simply magnificent, his release series setting off chants of ‘USA! USA!’ 

High bar: Paul Juda (13.366), Frederick Richard (14.833), Brody Malone (14.166)

U.S. men’s gymnastics in second halfway through Olympic team final

The Americans are 1.201 points behind China after three events, with a score of 130.163. They got a big boost on parallel bars, where Asher Hong improved his score from qualifying by more than a half-point. Frederick Richard also picked up about 1.2 points, offsetting a slightly lower score from Brody Malone. 

It’s not just that the Americans were doing their jobs to this point, they were also getting help from the other contenders. Japan’s Daiki Hashimoto fell off pommel horse in the second rotation. Britain had to count a 13.033 on vault and were 1.7 points back from the U.S.

Parallel bars: Brody Malone (14.433), Frederick Richard (14.566), Asher Hong (14.400)

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Asher Hong amped after big vault

One of the keys for Team USA, and every team in this final, is to have its stars on each apparatus put up big scores. And Asher Hong certainly did that on vault, which is one of his best events.

Hong took a slight hop on his Ri Se-gwang vault — a full twisting, double back somersault — but nevertheless notched a strong score of 14.833, pumping his fist and yelling in celebration as he walked off the podium. Between that vault, Paul Juda’s stuck landing, and dramatic improvement on this apparatus by Brody Malone, the U.S. put up another strong showing and moved into first place in the overall team standings — at least for a brief moment.

Vault: Paul Juda (14.666), Brody Malone (14.533), Asher Hong (14.833)

U.S. men’s gymnastics on still rings

The U.S. got to off to a solid start on still rings. Frederick Richard led off with a 14.033 — which was a half-point improvement on his rings score in qualifying — while Brody Malone and Asher Hong finished right around their scores Saturday. The result was a net positive of four-tenths for Team USA over qualifying, where they finished more than three full points behind third-place Great Britain.

Still rings scores: Frederick Richard (14.033), Brody Malone (14.166), Asher Hong (14.533).

When does Simone Biles compete next?

Simone Biles will next compete in Paris in the women’s gymnastics team final on Tuesday (12:15 p.m. ET). Here’s her full Olympics schedule: 

The women’s team final begins at 12:15 p.m. ET Tuesday, July 30. Biles will compete in all four events in the team final, even after tweaking her calf in qualifying on Sunday.
The women’s all-around final is at 12:15 p.m. ET Thursday, Aug. 1.
The women’s vault final is at 10:20 a.m. ET Saturday, Aug. 3.
The women’s balance beam final (6:36 a.m. ET) and floor exercise final (8:20 a.m.) are Monday, Aug. 5.

Stephen Nedoroscik to step into pommel horse pressure-cooker

There was a bit of controversy over Stephen Nedoroscik’s inclusion on Team USA. He only competes in one event — pommel horse — but he is one of the best in the world on that apparatus when he hits.

That means there’s a ton of pressure for the Penn State product to nail his routine in the team final Monday.

The timing, or rather order of events, only further adds to that pressure. The Americans will go last on pommel horse, and Nedoroscik will be the third and final member of the team to compete. Meanwhile, Great Britain and Ukraine, who are expected to be Team USA’s biggest rivals for the bronze medal, will be on floor exercise — where Great Britain recorded the highest score in qualifying.

The rub: When Nedoroscik steps up to the pommel horse, there could very well be a medal on the line.

Olympic gymnastics schedule

Here is the complete Paris Olympics gymnastics schedule.

The men’s team final begins today at 11:30 a.m. ET.
The women’s team final begins at 12:15 p.m. ET Tuesday, July 30.
The women’s all-around final is at 12:15 p.m. ET Thursday, Aug. 1.
The women’s vault final is at 10:20 a.m. ET Saturday, Aug. 3.
The women’s uneven bars final is at 9:40 a.m. ET Sunday, Aug. 4.
The women’s balance beam final (6:36 a.m. ET) and floor exercise final (8:20 a.m.) are Monday, Aug. 5.

U.S. men’s gymnastics team: Meet all five members

Frederick Ricahrd, Paul Juda, Brody Malone, Asher Hong and Stephen Nedoroscik are looking to end the Americans’ 16-year medal drought in the men’s gymnastics team final. Here’s what to know about them.

Olympic gymnastics scoring: How does it work?

A gymnastics routine gets two scores: One for difficulty, also known as the D score or start value, and one for execution. Every gymnastics skill has a numerical value, and the D score is the sum total of the skills in a routine. The execution score, or E score, reflects how well the skills were done. A gymnast starts with a 10.0, and deductions for flaws and form errors are taken from there. Add the D and E scores together, and that’s your total for an apparatus. (Vault scores will always be higher because it’s a single skill.)

PARIS – Ilona Maher has become Team USA’s social media star of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Now she’s recruited a celebrity fan for the United States women’s rugby team: former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce.

In her sarcastic tone that has been the driving force of her Olympic-related videos, Maher – a two-time Olympian – asked Kelce whether he’d agree to be the team’s ‘celebrity fan’ in the same vein rapper Flavor Flav is supporting the U.S. women’s water polo squad.

‘Do you get anything from being our super fan? No,’ Maher says in a video. ‘There’s no money. There’s no benefits at all.’

Kelce bought into the bit and declared he was ‘officially a fan, women’s rugby Olympics.’

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‘We got Jason!’ Maher, 27, said with a celebratory shout.

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It’s an especially fitting match because the U.S. women’s rugby team is nicknamed ‘the Eagles.’

Kelce, wearing a tight t-shirt and beret-adjacent cap, hung out with the team after they defeated Japan and Brazil in seeding play.

Kelce and his wife, Kylie, also hung out with the U.S. women’s field hockey team. Kylie Kelce was a field hockey player in her youth and filmed some promotional content with the team ahead of the Games. Maher said she and Kylie Kelce had also previously spoken.

The U.S. women’s rugby team defeated Great Britain in the quarterfinal Monday following a loss to France earlier in the day. They advanced to the semifinals and have already secured the best finish at an Olympics in team history.

‘For him to be supporting us was really cool,’ Maher said, according to the Associated Press.

Kelce retired following last season and is primed for a future career in media between the podcast he co-hosts with his brother and his gig as a studio analyst on ESPN’s ‘Monday Night Countdown’ show.

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NANTERRE, France – The United States wins so many swimming medals in each Olympics, a bronze medal can feel like a drop in the bucket compared to the others.

But there’s nothing like your first medal.

Luke Hobson, 21, got a taste of that Monday night at La Defense Arena. He lost, barely. But he won big, too. Hobson was beaten by only 0.07 seconds in a thrilling and youthful 200-meter freestyle final, finishing third behind 19-year-old gold medalist David Popovici of Romania and 21-year-old silver medalist Matthew Richards of Great Britain.  

“It was a pure dogfight,” Popovici said. “We all fought until the last stroke with every last atom in our bodies. Today this was the result. It could have just as easily been the other way around. This is just the start. We’re going to have our chances to race again.’

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

How close was this race throughout? After the first 50 meters, Hobson was in last place.

Less than a second, however, separated him from the leader. Gradually, Hobson gained ground, going from seventh to fourth, and then in the final 50, it was anyone’s gold to grab.

Looked for a flash like Hobson might win it, too.

Nonetheless, Hobson was pleased when he looked at the scoreboard to see he’d touched just behind Popovici and only 0.02 behind Richards.

“The field from what I could tell was all bunched together pretty tight,” said Hobson, a 12-time All-American at the University of Texas who hails from Reno, Nevada. “So I kind of thought to myself, ‘Just be patient. Wait to strike.’ Coming home the last 50, I think we were all giving it all we had. Years of hard work go into this, and I think a lot of that paid off for me in the last 50. …

“In a race as tight as that, just happy to end up on the podium.”

There could be more in this Olympics for Hobson, who is expected to swim in the 4×200 relay.

“I was expecting to be within striking distance of the podium,” he said. “… Really happy I got my first medal. Just a feeling of excitement. I’m super happy with it.’

NHL general managers had money to spend this offseason with the salary cap rising from $83.5 million to $88 million.

That led to a busy free agency season in which USA TODAY Sports’ top 25 players moved within three days.

Though things are calming down and the Columbus Blue Jackets filled the final coach opening, there are more transactions to come.

Stars Leon Draisaitl, Sidney Crosby, Mitch Marner and Igor Shesterkin are eligible to receive contract extensions. Jeremy Swayman, Lucas Raymond, Seth Jarvis and Moritz Seider are among restricted free agents needing new contracts.

Here are the top NHL transactions that have occurred during the 2024 offseason:

July 29: Wild sign Brock Faber to eight-year extension

The Minnesota Wild signed rookie of the year runner-up Brock Faber to an eight-year extension. It kicks in during the 2025-26 season and will average $8.5 million. Faber, 21, tied for first among rookies in assists (39) and led rookies in average ice time (24:58) and blocked shots (150). His 47 points broke the Wild’s previous record for points by a rookie defenseman (Filip Kuba, 30 in 2000-01). 

July 29: Hurricanes sign Martin Necas for two years

The Carolina Hurricanes and forward Martin Necas agreed to a two-year deal ($6.5 million cap hit), avoiding arbitration. Getting him signed for more than a year is a positive for the Hurricanes, who lost forwards Jake Guentzel, Teuvo Teravainen and Stefan Noesen to free agency. They also mutually agreed to terminate the contract of Evgeny Kuznetsov. Necas, 25, finished fourth on the team in goals (24) and tied for third in points (53). Carolina still needs to sign forward Seth Jarvis.

July 27-28: Blue Jackets sign two restricted free agents

The Columbus Blue Jackets and forward Kirill Marchenko avoided arbitration by agreeing to a three-year contract with a $3.85 million cap hit. The 24-year-old has topped 20 goals in his first two NHL seasons, totaling 44. A day earlier, the Blue Jackets had signed forward Kent Johnson to a three-year deal with a $1.8 million cap hit. Forward Cole Sillinger is the team’s last remaining restricted free agent.

July 26: Trade target Patrik Laine cleared by assistance program

Patrik Laine’s request to be traded by the Columbus Blue Jackets received a significant boost.

The Finnish forward was released from the NHL/NHL Players’ Association’s player assistance program, clearing him to personally speak with coaches, executives and players from around the league for the first time since entering the program Jan. 28 for undisclosed reasons.

Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell did not comment on Friday’s news but told the Columbus Dispatch, part of the USA TODAY Network, on Tuesday he’s confident a trade for Laine can be worked out this summer. A big holdup in trade talks, according to Waddell, was Laine’s inability to speak with him or opposing GMs while in the NHL/NHLPA program.

– Brian Hedger, Columbus Dispatch

July 25: Flyers’ Travis Konecny signs eight-year extension

– Field Level Media

July 24: Sabres agree to terms with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

The Buffalo Sabres avoided an arbitration hearing by agreeing to terms with goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen on a five-year deal with a $4.75 million cap hit. The restricted free agent gets a big bump from last season’s $837,500 after setting career highs with 54 appearances, 27 wins and a 2.57 goals-against average. The Sabres will go with a young goaltending duo of Luukkonen, 25, and Devon Levi, 22, next season as they try to end a 13-season playoff drought.

July 24: Oilers name Stan Bowman general manager

New Edmonton Oilers general manager Stan Bowman is known both for his three Stanley Cup titles and for stepping down after a 2021 report criticized how the Chicago Blackhawks handled a sexual-assault complaint during their 2010 championship run. He was recently reinstated by the league. Bowman detailed the steps he took during his absence from the NHL and said, ‘I can tell you without a doubt that those things will never happen on my watch again.’

OILERS: What Stan Bowman, others said about Blackhawks scandal

July 23: Sabres agree to terms with Beck Malenstyn

Forward Beck Malenstyn, acquired from the Washington Capitals in an offseason trade, agreed to terms with the Buffalo Sabres on a two-year contract with a $1.35 million cap hit. He had filed for salary arbitration. Malenstyn is known for his defensive work, penalty killing and physical play. He led the Capitals last season with 241 hits while recording career highs with six goals, 15 assists and 21 points.

Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen also has filed for arbitration.

Also: The Toronto Maple Leafs and forward Connor Dewar agreed to a one-year, $1.18 million deal. He had filed for salary arbitration.

July 22: Blue Jackets hire Dean Evason as coach

The Columbus Blue Jackets have settled on a new head coach.

Dean Evason will run the Blue Jackets’ bench after agreeing to a multi-year contract to fill a void created by the June 17 firing of Pascal Vincent. Not counting interims, Evason, 59, becomes the 11th coach in the franchise’s 24-year history.

Evason steps into the role after veteran Todd McLellan removed himself from the search process earlier this month. Evason doesn’t have as much experience as an NHL head coach as McLellan, but handled that role with the Minnesota Wild for five years before he was fired in November. Evason went 147-77-27 in 251 games with the Wild, including four trips to the playoffs.

– Brian Hedger, Columbus Dispatch

July 22: Joe Pavelski announces retirement

Joe Pavelski, who said in June he would take next season off, is retiring, he and the Dallas Stars announced. Pavelski, 40, finishes with 476 goals and 1,068 points in 1,332 career regular-season games between the San Jose Sharks and Stars. He’s the NHL’s leading U.S.-born playoff goal scorer with 74 and helped lead the Stars to back-to-back trips to the Western Conference final. Pavelski never won a Stanley Cup but he went to the Final in 2016 with the Sharks, scoring a playoff-leading 14 goals and four game-winners, and in 2020 with the Stars. He had been captain of the Sharks.

July 20: Canucks sign free agent forward Daniel Sprong

Winger Daniel Sprong’s deal with the Vancouver Canucks is for one year at a reported $975,000. He’s coming off back-to-back 40-point seasons despite averaging 11 to 12 minutes a night. He’ll add secondary scoring to a team that ranked sixth in goals per game last season. Sprong will get another chance to prove himself after the Seattle Kraken didn’t give him a qualifying offer in 2023 and the Detroit Red Wings let him go to free agency.

July 19: Red Wings, Joe Veleno reach deal, avoid arbitration

The Detroit Red Wings and forward Joe Veleno agreed to a two-year, $4.55 million contract, according to Sportsnet. He had filed for salary arbitration after getting a career-best 12 goals and 28 points in a bottom six role.

July 17: Hurricanes, Evgeny Kuznetsov agree to terminate contract

The Carolina Hurricanes placed forward Evgeny Kuznetsov on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract. He cleared waivers and the contract was terminated, which will allow Kuznetsov to play in Russia. He had one year, at a $7.8 million cap hit, left on his contract. The Washington Capitals, who traded him to the Hurricanes last season, retained half of that, and both teams are now free of that cap hit.

The mutual decision brings another offseason change to the Hurricanes roster. They weren’t able to re-sign trade deadline acquisition Jake Guentzel and traded his rights to the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he signed. Defensemen Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce and forwards Teuvo Teravainen and Stefan Noesen left in free agency. Defensemen Shayne Gostisbehere and Matt Walker and forwards Jack Roslovic and William Carrier are among the offseason additions.

Kuznetsov spent time last season in the NHL/NHL Players’ Association assistance program and finished with only 24 points in 63 games. He scored a league-best 32 points during the Capitals’ 2018 Stanley Cup run. He also was known for his goal celebration of flapping his arms like a bird.

The Hurricanes announced later in the day that they had re-signed forward Jack Drury to a two-year contract with a $1.725 million cap hit.

July 16: Kings re-sign Quinton Byfield

The No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 draft will get five years at a $6.25 million average. The Los Angeles Kings forward was a restricted free agent. The deal follows a breakthrough last season with a jump from three goals and 22 points to 20 goals and 55 points while being moved into a top six role. If he continues that progress, the deal will look good years from now.

Also: The St. Louis Blues said defenseman Torey Krug has been diagnosed with pre-arthritic changes in his left ankle and will be evaluated in six to eight weeks. If he needs surgery, he will miss the 2024-25 season. The team said the injury is a cumulative result of a bone fracture from earlier in his career. … Vancouver Canucks goalie Arturs Silovs signed a two-year contract. He was pressed into action in the playoffs after an injury to Thatcher Demko.

July 13: Rangers, Blue Jackets sign players

The New York Rangers re-signed defenseman Braden Schneider to a two-year contract with a reported $2.2 million cap hit. The Columbus Blue Jackets and goalie Jet Greaves settled on a two-year deal and avoided arbitration. It’s a two-way deal the first year that pays him less in the American Hockey League, but the second year is a one-way deal.

July 11: Utah’s Tij Iginla signs entry-level contract

Igina, the son of Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla, was the Utah Hockey Club’s first draft pick, taken sixth overall in June. He had 84 points in 64 games last season with Kelowna of the Western Hockey League. Iginla and Detroit Red Wings selection are the 13th and 14th of June’s 32 first-round picks to sign a three-year, entry-level contract.

Also: The Lightning and defenseman J.J. Moser reached a two-year, $6.75 million contract, avoiding arbitration. He was acquired from Utah in the Mikhail Sergachev trade.

July 10: Ryan Suter signs with Blues

Defenseman Ryan Suter, 39, who was bought out for the second time in his career, signed a one-year, $775,000 contract. He can earn another $2.225 million in performance bonuses. The Dallas Stars bought out the final year of his three-year contract. He was bought out by the Minnesota Wild in 2021.

July 8: Capitals name Chris Patrick general manager

Chris Patrick becomes the seventh general manager in Capitals history after being promoted from associate GM. Brian MacLellan was promoted to president of hockey operations. Patrick is the son of Capitals chairman Dick Patrick.

The Capitals were one of the busier teams this offseason, trading for Pierre-Luc Dubois, Andrew Mangiapane, Jakob Chychrun and Logan Thompson and signing Matt Roy, Brandon Duhaime and Taylor Raddysh.

July 6: Top two NHL draft picks sign

No. 1 pick Macklin Celebrini (Sharks) and No. 2 pick Artyom Levshunov (Blackhawks) signed three-year, entry-level deals rather than return for another season at college. They could end up at different levels. Celebrini, who was the clear-cut No. 1 pick, is expected to open the season with the Sharks. Levshunov, depending on what happens in training camp, could start in the American Hockey League.

July 5: 14 players file for salary arbitration

Fourteen restricted free agents have filed for salary arbitration, the NHL Players’ Association announced.

They are (in alphabetical order): Jake Christiansen (Blue Jackets), Connor Dewar (Maple Leafs), Jack Drury (Hurricanes), Ty Emberson (Sharks), Jet Greaves (Blue Jackets), Ryan Lindgren (Rangers), Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (Sabres), Beck Malenstyn (Sabres), Kirill Marchenko (Blue Jackets), J.J. Moser (Lightning), Martin Necas (Hurricanes), Spencer Stastney (Predators), Joe Veleno (Red Wings) and Oliver Wahlstrom (Islanders).

The key one is Necas, who has been linked to trade rumors. Moser and Malenstyn were acquired in offseason trades.

Hearings will be held from July 20 to Aug. 4, though nearly all players reach a settlement beforehand.

July 3: Kraken hires Jessica Campbell as assistant coach

Jessica Campbell made history when she was hired to join Dan Bylsma’s coaching staff on the Seattle Kraken.

She becomes the first female full-time assistant coach in NHL history to work behind the bench

Campbell, 32, made similar history in the American Hockey League when Bylsma hired her as an assistant coach with the Coachella Valley Firebirds in 2022. Bylsma, a former Stanley Cup winner, is bringing Campbell with him to the NHL after being named Kraken coach in May.

‘I just know that if the team has success and my impact is a good one, it could potentially open the doors for others,’ she said.

July 1-4: Early days of free agency

The Nashville Predators were among the winners by signing Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei. The Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights lost key players early but have added back. On Day 3, the Detroit Red Wings signed two-time Stanley Cup winner Vladimir Tarasenko.

A look at the opening days of 2024 NHL free agency

June 24-July 1: Who was traded before free agency?

The Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals were busy on the trade front. The Lightning moved out Mikhail Sergachev and Tanner Jeannot, then acquired the rights to Jake Guentzel and signed him to a seven-year, $63 million contract. The Capitals traded for forwards Dubois and Mangiapane, defenseman Chychrun and goalie Thompson, moving out goalie Darcy Kuemper and Beck Malenstyn.

NANTERRE, France — Team USA swimmers Katie Grimes and Emma Weyant earned silver and bronze medals, respectively, in the women’s 400-meter individual medley Monday night on Day 3 of swimming at the Paris Olympics. But Canadian star and favorite 17-year-old Summer McIntosh took the lead early and never relinquished it on her way to gold.

“I couldn’t really see anything until the breaststroke second 50-ish,” McIntosh said. “But [I] kind of looked around to make sure I was in a comfortable lead and definitely knew that I had the gold medal going into that last 100 meters. So that was an amazing moment.”

In the physically and mentally draining parade of all four strokes, Grimes won the silver with a time of 4:33.40, while Weyant won bronze in 4:34.93 at Paris La Défense Arena. McIntosh won gold with a time of 4:27.71 — not quite within reach of her 4:24.38 world record time from Canadian trials in May.

“This is the fastest I’ve been in two years, so I’ll take it,” 22-year-old Weyant said.

Both two-time Olympians, Weyant earned her second Olympic medal in the 400 IM after winning silver at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, and 18-year-old Grimes won her first after she finished fourth in the 800-meter freestyle three years ago.

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

“Katie came away in Tokyo with no medals at all so this means a lot,” Grimes’ coach Ron Aitken told USA TODAY Sports via text. “She wanted so much to get a [medal] and now she’s done it.”

Weyant and Grimes qualified for the 400 IM final first and second, respectively, in Monday morning’s prelims ahead of McIntosh. But given how taxing the race is, it’s reasonable to assume they were all doing just enough to make it to the final.

Like McIntosh, Grimes’ placement in the race never changed, always hitting the wall in second. But the 400 IM forces swimmers to strategically lean into their strengths because most have a weak stroke or point.

“I think getting to back-half my races has always been a strength of mine, but especially today that came in handy,” said Weyant, who was in seventh after the first 50 meters, sixth at the 250-meter mark and third on the last 100. 

While Weyant’s Paris Olympics are over after her lone event, Grimes still has the 1,500-meter freestyle, which begins Tuesday, and the open water 10K marathon swim in the Seine River — set for August 8, if the water is clean enough.

“I look forward to seeing what’s next,” Aitken added.

PARIS — For a few moments Monday, both Jagger Eaton and Nyjah Huston thought they had the gold medal halfway around their neck. They ended up with silver and bronze, respectively, when Japan’s Yuto Horigome put down a mind-blowing trick on his last attempt to sweep past the field and win the title for a second straight Olympics.

But skateboarding isn’t your normal Olympic sport. Competitors root for each other. They inspire each other. Breaking a boundary is as good as winning a medal. So in that sense, Eaton and Huston will leave Paris with an even bigger reward: The two American stars can say they were part of the greatest final in the history of competitive skateboarding.

“I would say not only were gnarly tricks done, but the energy between the crowd and so many things we were just feeding off it,” said Eaton, who improved on his bronze from Tokyo three years ago. “That crowd, with everybody killing it, it felt like a bunch of friends having an amazing day at skateboarding. Yeah, there was a lot on the line. But it was just so fun I was grateful to be out there.”

But there was also drama and tension. For the 29-year-old Huston, one of the most decorated skateboarders in history with 12 X Games gold medals and six World Championship golds, it was undeniable.

In Tokyo, where skateboard made its Olympic debut, Huston flopped as the big favorite and finished seventh. Now here he was in Paris, executing big, bold tricks and earning scores that put him in first place with three attempts to go.

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

He was in a position where his score could only improve – and he had one more big surprise up his sleeve just in case he needed it. On any other day, the score he’d already banked probably would have been good enough to win.

“That feeling of sitting up there, especially being in first place and seeing everyone have a couple more tries, it is a feeling I can’t even describe,” Huston said. “Nerves beyond being able to describe it.”

Then, on the fourth out of five attempts, Huston watched Eaton one-up him with a nollie-270-nose blunt – “it’s never been done in competition, and I’ve barely done it myself,” Eaton said – and raised his arms as he saved a wobbly landing.

When the score came in at a massive 95.25, Eaton had turned the tables. Suddenly he was in front in the cumulative total, 281.04 to 279.38, with Huston having just one attempt to try and replace his lowest counted score.

“I thought I won,” Eaton said.

Neither of them could have expected what came next – though maybe they should have.

Horigome, who had failed to land three straight tricks heading to his final attempt, was not having his best day. He needed something huge just to get onto the podium. Instead, he trumped them both with his own 270 that the judges gave a 97.08. It was one of the highest scores ever in a skateboard competition, and he leapt past both of them into first place.

“Yuta is a savage,” Eaton said. “There’s no other way to put it.”

“Insane,” Huston said. “Insane.”

Both Americans had one more opportunity. Eaton’s problem, though, was that he’d already played his cards. In skateboarding, you can’t repeat a trick you’ve already landed, so the strategy of doing his best trick on the fourth run rather than the fifth and final run left him without much chance to improve.  

“I could sit here and be so bummed, but I did the best I wanted to do, the best I could and I gave 100 percent through this whole journey,” he said. “It happens. I’m sitting here with a silver medal. We’ve got two USA on the podium. I’m fine.

“The level of competition was unbelievable. It was arguably the greatest final in skateboarding history.”

Huston did have something still in the bag for his final trick: A “switch heel crooked grind” that he’d executed in some other competitions on smaller obstacles. But this was the Olympics at an unfamiliar venue – a totally different situation than he’d faced.

“Man, it’s a hard one to put down in that moment,” Huston said.

Still, Huston leaves with a medal, a little bit of redemption for his stunningly poor performance in Tokyo and motivation to come back in four years when the Olympics will be in Los Angeles where he makes his home.

“It’s a mixture of feelings because I was close to getting that gold and I’m truly mad at myself for just not putting that last trick down because I know it’s something I can do,” he said. “But skateboarding is all about having fun because it’s the best thing on earth, the funnest thing on earth.”

Follow Dan Wolken on social media @DanWolken

PARIS — Match won, a domination really, the beach volleyball tandem of Chase Budinger and Miles Evans looked to the southeast corner of Centre Court of Eiffel Tower Stadium – the side with the best view of the international landmark – and raised their arms above their heads and pointed in celebration and recognition.

Waving and yelling back Monday were more than 80 family members, friends and neighbors, their closest supporters, who were significantly outnumbered. 

“USA! USA! USA! Chase Chase Chase! Miles Miles Miles!” they all yelled back to the sand a yeoman’s throw from the base of the Eiffel. 

The vast majority of the stadium, beyond the general anti-American sentiment in the stands to start the beach volleyball competition, was cheering for the host country team of Arnaud Gauthier-Rat and Youssef Krou. 

That didn’t matter to Budinger, the former NBA player pursuing his Olympic dream in a different sport that requires the use of the skills from his previous career, and Evans. The United States rolled to a two-set victory (21-14, 21-11) in a match that took 33 minutes. 

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

“It was so much fun. It was so loud in there,” Budinger said after the match. “The French fans really came out there to support their team.” 

During the pre-match introductions, the home crowd went into a frenzy for the French duo. Budinger turned to Evans and said “Man, this is a great feeling.”  

It was as if he had been transported to his past life. The memories of a seven-year NBA career that ended in 2016 following stints with the Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Indiana Pacers and Phoenix Suns came flooding back in the best way possible. 

“I love playing against this,” he said. “It just brought back a lot of memories, going into NBA arenas and playing on the road.” 

Having a boisterous cheering section who had practiced their chants and hung best they could with the French crowd helped. 

“Our cheering section was awesome,” Budinger said. “They gave us a lot of energy, a big boost. Anytime we made a big play, I looked up into our section, because I knew we had about 80 to 100 strong up there.” 

Evans said his family doesn’t travel much internationally to watch him play. But they wouldn’t miss the Olympics. 

“For them to be here now, it just means the world to me,” he said. 

Let’s hear from the proud dads. 

“Amazing, exhilarating, ground-shaking. It was just incredible,” said Patrick Evans, Miles’ father. “(Evans) heard us. And he answered our call.” 

“Wonderful experience, first to be in the Olympics, and win the first match?” Duncan Budinger, Chase’s father, told USA TODAY Sports. “Doesn’t get any better.” 

Evans and Budinger had about 40 people apiece supporting them. But they were one team in the bleachers. 

“It was overwhelming,” Jess Budinger, Budinger’s wife, told USA TODAY Sports. “It was so cool to watch my husband’s dreams come true.

“I’m shaking.”  

Budinger chose to play college basketball at Arizona, which does not field a men’s volleyball team. Had he remained in his native California at either Southern Cal or UCLA, he would have played both sports. Coming from an Olympics-loving home, Budinger put the Olympic rings on his dream board as a child but never specified a sport. 

“It’s definitely lived up to expectations, man,” he said. “This is absolutely unbelievable, absolutely breathtaking. The feeling out there is unreal.” 

If Budinger had any regret from the match, it’s that it went by too quickly. He said he should have looked up and enjoyed the view or maybe tried to stretch out the timeouts. 

For the French team, the raucous environment was actually distracting. After the Americans ran away with the first set, the crowd tried to implore the players by singing an impromptu version of the national anthem, “La Marseillaise,” as the second set began. The serenade had little effect. In a blink, Budinger and Evans had built a 12-6 lead and had the match in hand. 

“It’s very hard to focus on the game when you’re hearing all of the songs,” Gauthier-Rat said. “We felt loved.” 

Evans led the way with 13 attack points. Budinger was solid from the serving line and had three aces. His presence at the net, though, was the game-changer; he finished with four block points. 

“It doesn’t matter what sport,” Mara Budinger, Chase’s mom, told USA TODAY Sports, “if you’re ‘on,’ it’s your day.” 

Budinger’s experience of playing in high-stakes situations before made a difference, one of his opponents said.  

“I don’t know if it has to do with his NBA experience, but from my experience, he was the only composed player on the court,” said Gauthier-Rat, who also faced the same decision of whether to pursue basketball or indoor volleyball (his grandfather, Michel Rat, played on the French national team). “The three others, his partner and both of us, were more stressed, feeling more pressure. And he was feeling more relaxed, and he was able to put pressure on us and not make mistakes and dealt, generally, with the emotions better.” 

That NBA experience also played out during the opening ceremony Friday. Members of the men’s basketball team who crossed paths in the pros with Budinger came by to say hello. 

“It’s like, ‘Really, this guy’s my partner?’ ” Evans said. 

LeBron James did a double-take when Budinger called out to the Team USA flag-bearer.

“Chase?” the four-time MVP said. 

Budinger hopes that, should the men’s team advance to the semifinals of the Olympic tournament, players can attend one of his matches. But if both teams are in the gold-medal matchup, there will be a scheduling conflict, as those tilts are an hour apart on Aug. 10. 

One of the most boisterous members of the Budinger-Evans congregation was Budinger’s next-door neighbor, David Toomey. His wife, Susan Toomey, outfitted their entire block in southern California with signs to support Evans and Budinger. 

David Toomey doesn’t miss a match. If they’re playing in southern California, he goes. If they’re halfway across the world, he’s up at 3 a.m. PT to stream it.  

“I will (watch) every game he plays,” Toomey told USA TODAY Sports. 

And he greets Budinger with a similar message every time he comes home from wherever his volleyball travels have taken him. 

“We just say, ‘Mentally, you are the Michael Jordan of beach volleyball. There’s no reason you should lose. It’s all mental. So play your best.’ ”

Follow Christopher Bumbaca on social media @BOOMbaca