Track and field events are now in full swing, with packed crowds filling the Stade de France to watch the greatest athletes in the world. And Day 10 of the Olympics saw drama, from a world record broken to a medal fiasco in the 5000m.
Armand Duplantis breaks pole vault world record and claims gold for Sweden
Pole vaulting, although not a traditional powerhouse sport, has a budding superstar on it's hands - his name is Armand 'Mondo' Duplantis, and he breaks records.
And today would be no different, with the Swede obtaining a gold medal that most could see coming from a mile away. Flinging himself higher than the rest of the competition for the entire event, it would all accumulate in a world record attempt. He would have three tries - and on the last attempt, Mondo Duplantis had a new world record. 6.25m was the height, and it would break his previous world record of 6.24m by the slenderest of margins. The result would be a whole 0.3m ahead of second placed Sam Kendricks of Team USA - who is a double world champion himself. Claiming bronze would be Greece, as Emmanouil Karalis had a solid outing that saw the 24-year-old punch above his weight.
“I always believed in it - I always believed I could do it.”
Mondo Duplantis, on setting the the World Record on the Olympic stage.
Great Britain's golden girl Keely Hodgkinson finally stands on top in the women's 800m
In what seemed like a career destined for ill-fated silvers behind American Athing Mu and Kenyan Mary Moraa - Mu in Tokyo and the 2021 World Championships and Mora in the 2023 edition - Keely Hodgkinson proved doubters wrong on athletics' biggest stage.
A finishing time of 1:56.72 would see the Brit finish ahead of Ethiopian Tsige Duguma, who set her own personal best, and the aforementioned Moraa in third. Hodgkinson would be the first British woman to win in the 800 metres in 20 years, since Kelly Holmes in 2004.
In the other athletics finals today - the women's 5000m and discus - Beatrice Chebet of Kenya and Valarie Ulmann of Team USA would take home top spot in each event respectively. The 5000m saw second-placed Faith Kipyegon temporarily disqualified for a slight pushing match with Chebet during the race, but was reinstated after an appeal.
There were stories outside of track and field as well - gymnast Simone Biles would finish her 2024 Olympics on a slightly sombre notes as fifth in the balance beam and a silver in the floor event would see Italian Alice D'Amato victorious in the former and Rebeca Andrade of Brazil in the latter. The men's football final is also set as France will take on Spain in an all-European affair - France were victorious against Egypt 3-1 in the semi-final and a late Juanlu goal for Spain would see them beat Morocco 2-1.
