Paris Olympics Day 4: Biles celebrates yet another Olympic gold while Gauff fumes over call in loss
Simone Biles reached the top of the podium yet again, cementing her legacy as the greatest American gymnast and one of the best athletes in the history of the .
Biles helped the United States win the women's team event Tuesday to secure her fifth Olympic gold medal and put the U.S. back on top of the sport after a second-place finish three years ago in Tokyo.
Biles became the most decorated American gymnast in front of a crowd that included Nicole Kidman, Natalie Portman, Serena Williams, Spike Lee, Michael Phelps and Nadia Comaneci at a raucous Bercy Arena.
It was the eighth Olympic medal for the 27-year-old Biles, who was previously tied with Shannon Miller at seven.
Italy won the silver medal, and Brazil got the bronze.
There were no such triumphs in swimming for the Americans, who couldn't manage more than silver and bronze medals. In tennis, it was Coco Gauff left fuming over an officiating decision in a loss to Donna Vekic of Croatia.
There were no winners or losers in men's triathlon, which was as postponed because of concerns about the water quality in the Seine River amid a heat wave that made life difficult on some athletes and fans in Paris.
US swimming woes
Australian Kaylee McKeown knocked off world record holder Regan Smith of the United States in the 100 backstroke to defend her the title from the Tokyo Games.
Smith couldnāt hold off the hard-charging Aussie, who touched the wall in 57.33 seconds to win by a relatively comfortable margin over Smithās 57.66. The U.S. also grabbed the bronze with Katharine Berkoff.
In the menās 800 freestyle, Daniel Wiffen won Irelandās first gold medal in swimming since scandal-plagued Michelle Smith won three events in 1996. Defending champion Bobby Finke of the U.S. got the silver.
The nightās other gold medal went to Britain, which defended its title in the menās 4x200 freestyle relay, with the U.S. earning yet another silver.
Gauff upset
The scene felt all too familiar to Gauff. An officiating decision she was sure was wrong. A chair umpire who wouldnāt listen. Tears streaming down her cheeks. And, most disappointing of all, a loss, this time at the Paris Games.
Even the site was the same: Court Philippe Chatrier was where the reigning U.S. Open champion was eliminated in the third round at the Summer Games by Donna Vekic of Croatia 7-6 (7), 6-2.
Thatās also the main stadium used annually for the French Open, where Gauff found herself in a nearly by eventual champion Iga Swiatek in the semifinals last month.
āThereās been multiple times this year where thatās happened to me ā where I felt like I always have to be an advocate for myself on the court,ā Gauff said afterward, renewing a call for video review to be used in tennis, as it is in many other professional sports.
Gauff was the female flag bearer for the United States during the opening ceremony on Friday.
Also in tennis, Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz advanced into the doubles quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-7 (2), 10-2 match tiebreaker victory over Tallon Griekspoor and Wesley Koolhof of the Netherlands.
No. 1-ranked Iga Swiatek defeated No. 52 Wang Xiyu of China 6-2, 6-4.
Epic finish for USA's first women's rugby sevens medal
Alex Sedrick ran most of the length of the field to give the U.S. women a first Olympic rugby sevens medal with a stunning stoppage-time comeback win over Australia in the bronze-medal match on Tuesday.
Ilona Maher watched in awe as Sedrick bumped off two tacklers near her own tryline before sprinting all the way to the other end to score in front of a 60,000-plus crowd at Stade de France and spark jubilation for the Americans.
āI was kind of like, 'What is this? No way? It was crazy because I was like, āNo, thereās no way this is happening,ā Maher said of the audacious, winning try. āAnd then for her to have to make the kick as well, and sheās not our kicker.ā
The American women lost to defending champion New Zealand in the semis ā their first experience at that level ā but overcame a 12-7 deficit against the 2016 champion Australians with just seconds on the clock.
The American players and staff rushed onto the field to celebrate. Bruce Springsteen's āBorn in the U.S.A.ā blared over the stadium speakers.
Triathlon postponed
The menās triathlon scheduled for Tuesday was postponed because of concerns about the water quality in the Seine River.
It was rescheduled for Wednesday, when the womenās competition is also slated to be held. But both will happen only if water tests show acceptable levels of E. coli and other bacteria. Friday is also planned as a backup date.
There is rain forecast Tuesday night through Thursday, which could complicate rescheduling because rain generally causes an increase in bacteria levels in the Seine, the long-polluted waterway that has gone through an expensive cleanup effort.
āItās disappointing that thereās this negative aspect now with the delay,ā American triathlete Seth Rider said. āBut I hope we can have a triathlon and I can accomplish this dream that Iāve had since I was a little kid.ā
Heat wave
After enduring the rain in the opening ceremony, athletes now are having to deal with the heat.
Most of France is under heat warnings, with temperatures in Paris hitting 36 degrees Celsius (97 Fahrenheit), the national weather agency said. Air conditioning is far less common in French homes, shops and restaurants than in places like the United States.
The heat was even worse in the south, including the region around the Mediterranean cities of Marseille and Nice which are hosting Olympic competitions like soccer and sailing. It was as hot as 105 degrees Fahrenheit in parts of southern France.
Before winning the gold Tuesday, Biles posted a video on Instagram while struggling with the lack of air conditioning.
āDonāt come for me about my hair,ā Biles wrote on Instagram before the gymnastics team final. āIT WAS DONE but bus has NO AC and itās like 9,000 degrees. Oh & a 45 minutes ride.ā