Sports

Olympics 2021 updates – U.S. mens hoops rallies to reach gold-medal game, USWNT seeks bronze, plus more track action in Tokyo – ESPN

The U.S. men’s basketball team trailed by 15 midway through the second quarter of the semifinals of the Olympic Games. But with a gold-medal game appearance on the line, Kevin Durant led the charge.

Durant had 23 points and eight rebounds, while Devin Booker scored 20 points as the U.S. used a 48-14 run to beat Australia 97-78 to advance to the gold-medal game, where either France or Slovenia await.

Off the court, the U.S. women advanced to the final of the 4×100-meter relay for a chance at their third straight Olympic gold. Then, USA’s Ryan Crouser broke the Olympic record twice in two attempts, sitting pretty on top of the list to take home a back-to-back gold medals in shot put.

Meanwhile, USA men shocked the world by failing to qualify for the final of the 4×100-meter relay, finishing sixth in their heat.

Later Thursday morning, the USWNT takes on Australia in the women’s soccer bronze-medal match. … If Team USA vs. Australia wasn’t already a rivalry, it is now.

From the plethora of track events (men’s triple jump final, men’s shot put final and men’s 110m hurdles final, to name a few) to when Megan Rapinoe & Co. take the pitch, we’ve got you covered with updates on all the action from Tokyo:

USA men’s hoops storms back to gold-medal game

The U.S. men’s basketball team trailed 41-26 midway through the second quarter. By the end of the third, the Americans were up 74-55. How? Kevin Durant.

Durant scored a game-high 23 points on 10-of-19 shooting, while Devin Booker added 20 points as Team USA rallied to beat Australia 97-78 in the semifinals on Thursday.

Crouser breaking his own records

In a commanding performance worthy of a defending champion, USA’s Ryan Crouser won back-to-back Olympic gold in the men’s short put, setting an Olympic record in his first throw …

… second throw …

… and final throw, at 76 feet, 5 1/2 inches, the second-best in the history of the sport.

America’s Joe Kovics won silver while New Zealand’s Thomas Walsh won bronze. If that looks familiar, it should.

Upset alert

In a shocking turn of events, USA’s Grant Holloway, the current world champion in the 110-meter hurdles, was denied an Olympic gold medal by Jamaica’s Hansle Parchment, who ran a 13:04 race. It’s also a 1-3 finish for Jamaica, with Ronald Levy picking up the bronze. This is Parchment’s first Olympic gold medal; he won a bronze in the same event in 2012.

U.S. men fails to qualify in relay

The U.S. men’s 4×100-meter relay team failed to qualify for the finals, coming in sixth in the semifinals.

Team USA’s performance caught the attention of the legendary Carl Lewis, a nine-time Olympic gold medalist, who called the performance “a total embarrassment.”

A-Team moves to finals

The USA’s A-Team beach volleyball duo of April Ross and Alex Klineman will play for the gold medal after they cruised to victory against Switzerland 21-12, 21-11 in the semifinals over Switzerland. They will face Australia in the finals (Thursday, 10:30 p.m. ET).

Whether they win gold or silver remains to be determined. What is certain: They have the support of Mr. T.

Bronze wheels

American Cory Juneau, who squeaked into the final in the eighth spot out of qualifying, took bronze in the Olympic debut of men’s park skateboarding. He joined Jagger Eaton, who took bronze in men’s street, as the only American medalists in the sport’s Olympic debut. The first skater to drop in the finals, Juneau, 22, put together his cleanest and most technical run of the contest, and his 82.15 set the bar for the remainder of the competition.

But 18-year-old Australian Keegan Palmer took gold with a 95.83. Palmer, who was born in San Diego and lives in Encinitas, California, earned the first medal in skateboarding for Australia. Brazilian Pedro Barros, 26, the most successful park skater in history, took silver with a second-run score of 86.14.

USA relay team vying for three-peat

In the women’s 4×100-meter relay, Team USA advanced to the finals after finishing second in the heats at 41.90, just behind Great Britain’s 41.55. USA has won gold in the past two Olympics. Great Britain and Jamaica, which finished third, all finished on the podium at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Game recognize game

Shaun White won three Olympic gold medals in snowboarding, but the 34-year-old legend had a chance to see what a Summer Games medal is like when he posed for a photo with skateboarding gold medalist Sakura Yosozumi and silver medalist Kokona Hiraki.

Dressin’ Dressel

Same pose, just many years later. Caeleb Dressel observed Throwback Thursday only how he could: with the four gold medals he won in Tokyo.

Related Posts

Perk: Joel Embiid has been getting disrespected & it has to STOP! | NBA Today – ESPN

Mavs stave off elimination in Game 4, Lakers may keep Russell Westbrook | NBA | THE HERD – The Herd with Colin Cowherd

St. Louis Blues Craig Berube says racist comments directed at Colorado Avalanches Nazem Kadri are in no way acceptable – ESPN