Simone Biles made her much-anticipated Paris Olympics debut on Sunday and led her qualifying group despite getting her left ankle taped after complaining of discomfort. Elsewhere, Rafael Nadal won his singles match and the U.S. men’s basketball team beat Serbia.
US beats Serbia 110-84 in opener
LeBron James made his Olympic return after a 12-year absence. Kevin Durant played for the first time this summer.
And the two most experienced Olympians on this U.S. team opened the Paris Games — not to mention a bid for a fifth consecutive gold medal for the Americans — with a near-perfect show.
Durant made his first eight shots on the way to 23 points in less than 17 minutes, James added 21 points, nine rebounds and seven assists and the U.S. rolled to a 110-84 win over Serbia in the Olympic opener for both teams.
Kevin Durant is back with a flourish
Kevin Durant is back. And in the first half of his debut with the U.S. Olympic team this summer at the Paris Games, he didn’t miss a beat.
Didn’t miss anything, in fact.
Durant — the all-time leading scorer in U.S. men’s Olympic history — scored 21 points on 8-for-8 shooting in first-half action Sunday, helping the Americans to a 58-49 halftime lead over Serbia.
He had five 3-pointers in the half, and a fadeaway at the buzzer.
Nadal wins and faces Djokovic next
Rafael Nadal is off to a winning start in singles play at the Olympics, beating Marton Fucscovics in three sets.
Nadal, who broke Fucscovics to go up 3-2 in the third set before having part of his right ring finger taped up, finished off his opponent to win 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.
The victory sets up a blockbuster showdown against rival Novak Djokovic in the second round at Roland Garros, where Nadal has won the French Open a record 14 times.
Nadal also won his doubles opener Saturday night, playing alongside Spanish countryman Carlos Alcaraz.
Triathlon training in Seine canceled
Early Sunday, organizers canceled a pre-race triathlon event planned for the Seine River over continued concerns about water quality.
Heavy rain during the opening ceremony revived fears over whether the Seine will be clean enough to host swimmers when the triathlon competition starts on Tuesday.
Biles leads after injury scare
Biles posted an all-around total score of 59.566 despite complaining of a left leg injury that had her limping. Biles appeared to tweak the leg while warming up on floor exercise during the second rotation. She had the ankle taped and then returned to put on the kind of show-stopping performance that has long been her signature.
She was still limping when she left the venue.
Her U.S. teammate Sunisa Lee finished second and U.S. gymnast Jordan Chiles third.
‘I’m really proud of her‘
U.S. gymnastics coach Cecile Landi said she was super proud of Biles but did not specifically address the injury.
“I can’t express it,” she said. “I’m really proud of her and what she’s been through and what she’s showing the world what she’s capable of doing.”
Biles skips new element in uneven bars
Biles did not try her new element in her uneven bars routine. The execution was flawless. She has dismounted and waves to the crowd, who responds with a huge roar. After looking somber earlier in the day, she now smiles. Score 14.433.
Biles has her ankle taped
Biles had her left ankle taped after complaining of discomfort following her beam routine. She briefly left the floor but continued her quest to return atop the Olympic podium.
Stars turn out for Biles
The 27-year-old American and the five-woman U.S. gymnastics team took the floor at a packed, star-studded Bercy Arena.
Among the high-profile fans were Hollywood star Tom Cruise and Oscar-winning actor Jessica Chastain. Snoop Dogg had front-row seats while Greta Gerwig, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, John Legend and Chrissy Teigen, Nick Jonas and Anna Wintour also attended Biles’ competition.
AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
