Paris Olympics: USA wins gold and more on first day

PARIS, France — American divers Sarah Bacon and Kassidy Cook won silver on Saturday in the women’s synchronized 3-meter springboard diving final to take home Team USA’s first medals of the Paris Games, and more would quickly follow. 

Here’s a look at other top moments from the Paris Olympics on Saturday, July 27.

Australia took the lead in its swimming showdown against the United States at the Paris Olympics by claiming two of three gold medals on the first full day of competition.

Ariarne Titmus turned one of the most anticipated races of the Games into a blowout when she left Katie Ledecky in her wake at La Defense Arena. Titmus led from start to finish in the 400-meter freestyle Saturday night.

The Australian star known as “The Terminator” handed Ledecky a second straight Olympic defeat in an event the American won at Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Seventeen-year-old Canadian phenom Summer McIntosh claimed the silver, Ledecky settled for bronze.

Australia then made it 2 for 2 against the Americans in the women’s 4×100 freestyle relay, claiming its fourth straight Olympic title in that event.

The U.S. finally got its first gold in the men’s 4×100 freestyle relay. The Americans were anchored by Caeleb Dressel, who won the eighth gold medal of his career.

Chloe Dygert, the cycling time trial world champion from the U.S., won bronze.

The prerace favorite, who overcame a career-threatening injury only to deal with an Achilles injury and a bout of COVID-19 earlier this year, had to rally just to claim the bronze medal after she fell while taking a corner and saw her dreams of gold wash away.

The American men — hoping to repeat the bronze they won at the world championships last fall — made it through to the final round in fifth place after prelims.

Brody Malone, who returned from a catastrophic leg injury in March 2023 to win the U.S. Championships in early June and make his second Olympic team, fell once on pommel horse and twice on high bar, likely dashing his hopes of individual medals.

Rain continued from the opening ceremony through the first full day of competition and caused several postponements and delays at the Paris Olympics.

Men’s street skateboarding was supposed to start Saturday but was pushed to Monday because of the showers. The start of play in the scheduled tennis matches on the 10 smaller courts at Roland Garros was delayed because of rain, but action started as scheduled in the two main stadiums that have retractable roofs.

The rain could threaten the water quality for swimming in the Seine when the triathlon begins Tuesday with the men’s event at the Alexander III bridge next to Grand Palais.