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What’s happening on Day 13 of Paris Games this Thursday?

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 Men's 200m Semi-Finals - Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France - August 07, 2024. Noah Lyles of United States before the start of semi-final 2 REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

The Olympics are in their home stretch with four days left at the Paris Games and more than 30 medals will be up for grabs on Thursday.

Medals will be awarded in athletics and sailing while finals will also be held in boxing, taekwondo, wrestling and track cycling.

Marathon swimming is set to get underway amid concerns over water pollution in the river Seine.

SPRINT DOUBLE FOR LYLES?

Newly-minted world’s fastest man Noah Lyles takes to the track again as he aims to complete the prestigious sprint double by adding the 200 metres title to his 100m victory last week.

If he succeeds, Lyles will be the first American to achieve the sprint double since Carl Lewis in 1984.

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In what could be a good night for the United States, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is the hot favourite to win a 400m hurdles final that is also expected to be lightning fast.

A world record is not unlikely for the Olympic champion who has already broken her own record three times.

FORMER BOXING CHAMPS VIE FOR MEDALS

Two boxing golds are up for grabs, with France’s Billal Bennama facing 2016 champion Hasanboy Dusmatov in the flyweight final and China’s Chang Yuan taking on Turkey’s Hatice Akbas in the women’s bantamweight.

Cindy Ngamba, who ensured a first-ever medal for the refugee Olympic team by reaching the women’s middleweight semi-finals, meets Panama’s former world champion Atheyna Bylon for the bronze.

EGYPT V MOROCCO FOR FOOTBALL BRONZE

Egypt and Morocco clash in Nantes for their countries’ first-ever podium finish in the men’s football tournament.

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Egypt were close to knocking out hosts France but ultimately lost 3-1 in extra time, while Morocco fell 2-1 to Spain in the semi-finals.

JONES LOOKS FOR THIRD TAEKWONDO GOLD

Britain’s Jade Jones will seek a third gold medal in the women’s featherweight category, aiming to put away her dismal performance at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics where she was beaten in her first bout by the then Refugee Team athlete Kimia Alizadeh.

Iran-born Alizadeh will compete again at these Olympics but under the Bulgarian flag and starts off with a first bout against her former roommate Nahid Kiyanichandeh.

China’s 2022 world champion Zongshi Luo is one to watch while men’s world champion Yushuai Liang will also aim for top spot on the podium and Ulugbek Rashitov, the first Uzbekistan athlete to win gold in taekwondo in Tokyo, is also a contender.

WRESTLING WIN STREAK ON THE LINE

In the women’s 53kg freestyle, Japan’s Akari Fujinami will look to extend her record 130-match win streak to claim her first Olympic gold.

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Ukraine’s Zhan Beleniuk will be out to defend his title in the men’s 87kg Greco-Roman event, while Cuba’s Luis Orta will seek a second successive gold having moved up to the 67kg from 60 in Tokyo.

FINUCANE SEEKS SECOND TRACK CYCLING MEDAL

Action continues in the velodrome with Britain’s Emma Finucane one of the favourites to win the women’s keirin after already picking up a gold in the team sprint.

CARRINGTON IN HUNT FOR SEVENTH MEDAL

The first medals in the sprint disciplines are up for grabs and Lisa Carrington, New Zealand’s most successful Olympian, will look to add to her impressive haul of five golds and a bronze when she takes part in the women’s kayak four 500m final.

VARFOLOMEEV UNDER PRESSURE IN RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS

Germany’s Darja Varfolomeev, ranked the top rhythmic gymnast in the world, will compete with nine others to qualify for Friday’s individual all-around final.

She faces stiff competition from gymnasts from Bulgaria and Italy, which have typically been successful at the Olympics.

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Varfolomeev is under pressure to deliver as Germany have not medalled at rhythmic gymnastics since the sport’s Olympic debut in 1984.

ANOTHER CLIMBING RECORD?

American Sam Watson will be looking to repeat his world record-setting run up the 15-metre wall in the speed climbing final.

-Reuters

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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Olympics

Olympic rings removed from Eiffel Tower

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The Eiffel Tower and the Olympic Rings

The Olympic rings installed on the Eiffel Tower since June to celebrate the upcoming Olympic Games were removed from the Parisian monument early on Friday morning, as confirmed by an AFP photographer. But the Paris City Hall intends to replace them with a more permanent structure until 2028.

The five-coloured rings, measuring 29 metres in length and 15 metres in height, were placed between the first and second levels of the iconic iron structure on 7 June. 

According to Inside the Games publication, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo  wants the Olympic symbol to continue decorating the monument until the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.

But the descendants of the tower’s creator, Gustave Eiffel are opposing the move. They are insisting that the Olympic rings are aesthetically in conflict with the concept and design of the Tower.

The 30-tonne rings initially installed on the Eiffel Tower were also not designed to withstand winter weather conditions.

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Despite Egypt winning 3 medals at Paris Olympics, President Al-Sisi orders sports system overhaul

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Ahmed El-Gendy won Egypt's only gold at the Paris Olympics

Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi ordered  a comprehensive evaluation of sports federations that  participatedat the Paris Olympic Games, following a mission report submitted by the country’s sports minister.

The mandate includes a thorough expenditure check and a performance review to better highlight areas of improvement and fund allocation in future Games.

Additionally, the president plans to take necessary measures against federations —such as limiting funds— that had negative results in the Paris Games.

Egypt’s participation in sports where it lacks a competitive advantage will also be limited, as the president aims to direct resources to promising athletes to ensure optimal results. The president also aims to reduce administrative and technical staff within Olympic delegations and task relevant ministries with preparing future Olympic athletes.

Al-Sisi’s Olympic overhaul is to be presented to the cabinet for approval and urged the government to prioritise amending the sports law for the House of Representatives for review. 

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Egypt took home a total of three medals in the Summer Games. Ahmed El-Gendy triumphed in modern pentathlon, Sara Samir claimed the silver in weightlifting, and 21-year-old fencer Mohamed El-Sayed earned the bronze.

-Insidethegames

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Paris 2024 Games break record ticket sales

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Beach Volleyball - Men's Gold Medal Match - Sweden vs Germany (Ahman/Hellvig vs Ehlers/Wickler) - Eiffel Tower Stadium, Paris, France - August 10, 2024. REUTERS/Esa Alexander/File Photo

Paris 2024 sold a record 12 million tickets for the Olympics and Paralympics, beating the Games record previously set by London 2012, organisers said on Sunday.

Some 9.5 million tickets were sold for the Olympics and 2.5 million for the Paralympics, which end on Sunday.

In 2012, London organisers set the record for the Paralympics with 2.7 million tickets sold but only 8.2 million were sold for the Olympics.

-Reuters

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