Sensations of the 8th day of the Olympics. What surprised the fans in Paris?
On August 3, the 8th day of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris took place.
Numerous historical and less significant events occurred on Saturday, but now we present you with the most sensational results that astonished sports fans.
Damian Warner: How to Say Goodbye to Medal Hopes
Damian Warner, the 34-year-old decorated Canadian, who clinched the gold in decathlon at the Tokyo Games, was expected to shine again. He had also secured second place at the 2023 World Championships and won the Pan American Games, thus being a favorite for a medal at this Olympics, if not the gold.
However, Warner faltered on the eighth event and withdrew from the competition. He did not compete in the javelin throw, the ninth event out of ten, after failing to clear the minimum height (4.60 m) in all three attempts at pole vaulting.
The Canadian Olympic Committee revealed that Warner and his team were devastated. Warner was in second place with 6428 points, trailing by 72 points behind Germany’s Leo Neugebauer after seven events. Following his unsuccessful attempt to clear 4.60 meters, he dropped to 17th place. Only the javelin throw and the 1500 meters race remained… Such is the unfortunate story of the Olympic champion.
The gold was claimed by Norway’s Markus Rooth, who set a national record with 8796 points. He became the first Norwegian to win the Olympic decathlon since 1920 in Antwerp.
Women’s Football: The Elimination of Canada or France – Which Was More Unexpected?
The Canadian women, who won gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, failed to defend their title in Paris, losing to Germany in the quarterfinals. Although the Germans were favorites in this match-up, the real shocker came from Brazil, who narrowly defeated the French 1-0.
In the 16th minute, the hosts could have taken the lead, but PSG’s main defender Sakina Karchaoui missed a penalty. The only goal was scored by Brazil’s Gabi Portilho in the 82nd minute.
In the semifinals, Brazil will face the USA, who defeated Japan in their quarterfinal match. The aforementioned Germany will compete with Spain for a place in the final.
Fencing: The French Team Misses Out on Medals
The French women’s fencing team, competing in the sabre event, failed to secure gold, silver, or bronze.
The top-seeded hosts lost to South Korea 36-45 in the semifinals. In the bronze medal match, the French team surprisingly lost to Japan 40-45.
The gold was won by Ukraine, led by Olga Kharlan, who defeated South Korea 45-42 in the final. Kharlan, by the way, was named the person of the day by our editorial team.
Women’s 100m Sprint: A Sensation from St. Louis
The main favorite for the race was American Sha'Carri Richardson, the reigning world champion in this distance.
However, Richardson stumbled at the start, showing the slowest reaction time - 0.221 seconds. The gold was won by Julian Alfred with a time of 10.72 seconds, bringing St. Louis its first-ever Olympic medal. Richardson, by the way, finished second with a time of 10.87 seconds.
Leo Peterson
Dailysports's expert
Translated by the editors
