SwimSwam will be providing a weekly rundown of the top stories in Olympic sports (outside of swimming) in the lead-up to the 2024 Games in Paris.
10 Olympians To Receive Reallocated Medals In Paris
Ten reallocated medals will be presented during the Paris Olympics as a result of athletes being stripped of their result in previous Games. Eight of the medals are from the 2012 Olympics in London, while one is from Sydney 2000 and another is from Beijing 2008.
The women’s 400-meter hurdles event from London will have three new medals presented after Russia’s Natalya Antyukh was stripped of her gold medal for a positive doping test, with American Lashina Demus will be bumped up to the gold medal.
In five of the seven events, the medal reallocations stem from positive Russian doping tests, while there’s also one from a U.S. positive and two from Turkish athletes.
The medal ceremony will be held on August 9, heading into the final weekend of the Games, at the Champions Park at the Trocadero Gardens in Paris.
Simone Biles Wins Record Ninth U.S. National Title
Simone Biles is on fine form as she descends on the USA Gymnastics Olympic Trials at the end of June, rolling to a dominant win in the All-Around competition at U.S. Nationals in Fort Worth, Texas.
The seven-time Olympic medalist comfortably topped a field that included reigning All-Around Olympic champion Suni Lee, scoring 119.750 while posting the highest tally on all four events included in the All-Around competition (vault, bars, beam, floor).
The score marked Biles’ best at Nationals since 2018 and gave her a record ninth title in the event.
“Today, it was just getting out there and getting comfortable and confident in my gymnastics and hopefully going to Olympic trials and making that next step towards Paris,” Biles told NBC.
“I couldn’t be more proud of how I’m doing this time of the year, just getting that confidence. Over and over, getting myself back in front of the crowd. And just doing what I do in practice.”
The 27-year-old won four gold medals at the 2016 Olympics, including the All-Around title, but withdrew from the final in Tokyo (after qualifying 1st) due to mental health.
The USA Gymnastics Olympic Trials will run June 27-30 in Minneapolis.
Seville Beats Lyles With World-Leading 100m In Jamaica
Jamaican sprinter Oblique Seville made some noise racing at home on the weekend, beating reigning world champion Noah Lyles at the Racers Grand Prix in Kingston, Jamaica.
Racing in the men’s 100 meters, Seville, 23, finished in a personal best of 9.82, topping Lyles (9.85) and taking over the #1 spot in the world rankings.
A semi-finalist in Tokyo, Seville has finished 4th in the 100m final at each of the last two World Championships but appears to be rounding into peak form for Paris. He is coached by Glen Mills, who previously mentored Usain Bolt.
Another standout at the competition was Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred, who won the women’s 100m in a time of 10.78, just .01 off the world lead.
McLaughlin-Levrone Moves To World #1 In 400m Hurdles
Another highlight on the track was the performance of American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone at the Edwin Moses Legends Meet in Atlanta.
The defending Olympic champion in the women’s 400-meter hurdles, McLaughlin-Levrone posted a world-leading time of 52.70 in what was her first time competing in the event in two years.
The 24-year-old maintains her spot atop the rankings after one of her main rivals, Dutchwoman Femke Bol, went 53.07 two days later at the Stockholm Diamond League stop.
The U.S. Track & Field Trials will run June 21-30 in Eugene, Oregon.
French Police Make Pair of Arrests of Suspected Terror Threats
Security measures have ramped up in France with the Olympics on the horizon.
On May 22, French police arrested an 18-year-old Chechen national “suspected of wanting to commit an Islamist-inspired attack on national spil in Saint-Etienne.”
Police reports that preliminary evidence suggested he was preparing an attack against the Geoffroy Guichard Stadium in Saint-Etienne, where the soccer events will be held during the Olympics.
One day later, a man was detained on suspicion of planning an attack on the Olympic torch relay in Bordeau.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin didn’t provide many details but praised for police for attacking quickly and ensuring security during the relay when it passed through Bordeau on May 23.
IBA To Offer Massive Prize Money In Paris, IOC Claps Back
The International Boxing Association (UBA) announced last Wednesday that it will pay $3.1 million in prize money to the top five finishers at the Paris Games.
The news comes after World Athletics pledged $50,000 to each Paris Olympic gold medalist in April.
Last year, the IBA was excommunicated from the Olympic Movement as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) withdrew recognition of the organization, with financial transparency at the forefront of the reasoning.
The IOC was not pleased with the prize money announcements made by the IBA—after being excommunicated, the IBA does not have anything to do with the Olympics—and replied by calling on national federations to disassociate from the IBA.
📌 IOC Statement on the International Boxing Association (IBA)
The IOC has taken note of the decision by the International Boxing Association (IBA) with regard to prize money. As always with the IBA, it is unclear where the money is coming from. This total lack of financial… pic.twitter.com/keFDKQUMhI
— Christian Klaue (@ChKlaue) May 29, 2024
The 400 nurses in both men’s and women’s continues to deliver – Sydney looks like she may still have the edge over Bol based on their openers, but I believe Bol had a headwind down the closing straight.
And dos Santos beating Warholm at home and taking the WL from Benjamin by 1/100 is exactly what we want heading into Paris.
Can you translate this comment?
Well, dos santos is the youngest of them
Warholm will be 28, rai 27 and santos 24 in Paris. expecting warholm WR to fall there.
And this was probably the best event of whole tokyo olympics
Sydney McLaughlin is unreal, she beats 200m specialists in her first try at 200.
Imagine the IOC thinking you’re too sleazy to be a legitimate governing body for sports.
Btw, anyone else getting pop up ads now that make it really hard to read the text on swimswam?
Yes sometimes on my phone but if I refresh it usually goes away
Yes – sometimes over the main body of the article and there’s no option to close them.
It’s driving me crazy now. I’m on an iPad. Still happens soon after I refresh the page.
Is that targeted advertising? 😂😂
Did you take the test and how did it turn out ?
If you get them, can you please hit the little thing in the corner and report them?
Helps us work with our ad service to get them removed.
Thanks!
download an ad blocker
Does Sunisa Lee also go by Susi (I knew of Suni)?
No, that’s a mistake. Her nickname is Suni. (Pronounced like Soo-nee, not Sunny)
Yes, typo. Updated
Ya I know that. Was asking about Susi