PARIS: Great Britain claimed their first opening day medal since 2004 as the Paris Olympics got under way.
After a rain-soaked but spectacular opening ceremony on Friday, the poor weather continued on Saturday morning and the scheduled skateboarding events had to be postponed.
China have won the first two gold medals of the Games, in shooting and diving.
Team GB duo Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen claimed a dramatic bronze in the women’s synchronised 3m springboard.
GB’s men made a winning start in the hockey, while two-time defending champion Adam Peaty progressed to the 100m breaststroke semi-finals.
British diver Tom Daley has also had a productive start to his fifth Olympic Games – and the Tokyo 2020 gold medallist is yet to even enter the pool.
Team GB secure first medal
In the women’s synchronised 3m springboard event, Harper and Mew Jensen were sixth with two dives to go and fourth before the final dive.
Australia looked set for bronze at worst, but an excellent final effort by the British pair moved them into third and a horrible mistake on Australia’s final dive meant they failed to overhaul Harper and Mew Jensen.
The pair were in tears at the end of the competition as they snatched Britain’s first female diving medal at an Olympics for 64 years, behind China and the United States.
China win first gold of Paris 2024
There are 329 medal events during this summer’s Games and the first gold was on offer earlier on Saturday morning in shooting.
British pair Seonaid McIntosh and Michael Bargeron were eliminated at the qualification stage of the 10m air rifle event.
Teenagers Huang Yuting and Sheng Lihao went on to win the first gold of a predicted large medal tally for China, who narrowly finished second to the US in the Tokyo 2020 medal table.
GB men make winning start in hockey
Nick Park and Rupert Shipperley scored either side of a Gareth Furlong double as Great Britain’s men opened with a 4-0 win over Spain in the hockey.
Captained by Northern Ireland’s David Ames, GB men are aiming to secure a first Olympic medal since winning gold in 1988 and continue their campaign against South Africa on Sunday.
Adam Peaty also made a winning start in the men’s 100m breaststroke heats. He will continue his bid for a third straight gold in the semi-finals at 20:10 BST.
In the badminton, Britain’s Ben Lane and Sean Vendy lost 2-1 in their first group game to Malaysian pair Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik.
Paris rain stops play
Earlier this summer, there was talk of Paris 2024 surpassing the delayed Tokyo Games in 2021 as the hottest Olympics on record.
Instead, it has been a wet start in the French capital as rain poured throughout Friday’s opening ceremony and continued to fall overnight and on Saturday morning, with the top of the Eiffel Tower shrouded in cloud.
The men’s street skateboarding has therefore been postponed until Monday, while in the tennis play on the outside courts has been delayed until 14:30 BST.
After initial concern over the cycling, the women’s and men’s time trial events are set to go ahead as scheduled, at 13:30 and 15:32 BST respectively.
Daley again shows off his knitting skills
Reaction to Friday’s ambitious opening ceremony continues. The first to be held outside the main Olympic stadium, it featured a range of performances at iconic landmarks along the River Seine.
Two of the main talking points were Tom Daley’s Titanic pose with fellow GB flagbearer Helen Glover, and Carl Lewis’ bumpy ride along the Seine with Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams and Nadia Comaneci.
French chef and TV personality Fred Sirieix said on BBC One: “I think the French did a Tour de France because it’s never been done before [like that].
“It was a bit sensational, a bit shocking at times. It wasn’t everybody’s cup of tea, but I loved it.”
Sirieix, whose daughter Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix will compete for GB in the diving on Wednesday, added: “I think everybody will remember it. It brought everybody together and gave people a sense of pride.
“The French love it [hosting the Games]. Everybody is buzzing, the vibe is incredible.”
Daley went viral at Tokyo 2020 for knitting poolside, and on Saturday Spendolini-Sirieix sat beside the 30-year-old – who also competes on Wednesday – as he crafted another item during the morning’s diving session: a jumper with his name on the back.
BBC
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