Team USA had its biggest medal haul in years on Saturday.
PARIS, France — Saturday was a big day for the United States at the 2024 Olympics with some of the team’s biggest stars adding to their gold-medal collection.
Simone Biles made it three-for-three on gold medals at the Paris Summer Games by winning the vault final.
Her teammate Jade Carey earned bronze, while Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade won silver.
Viral sensation Stephen Nedoroscik earned a bronze medal in the pommel horse.
The U.S. women’s soccer team also advanced to the semifinals after beating Japan 1-0.
Katie Ledecky added to her gold-medal collection by winning the 800-meter freestyle. She joins Michael Phelps as the only swimmers to win the same event at four straight Summer Games.
Taking the 800-meter freestyle for the fourth time, Ledecky won her ninth Olympic race to match four others for second in any Games. Summer or Winter. Phelps holds the record with 23 gold medals.
The U.S. swim team also set a world record in the 4×100 mixed medley relay. Ryan Murphy, Nic Fink, Gretchen Walsh and Torri Huske held off China for a winning time of 3:37.43, breaking the mark of 3:37.58 set by Britain when it won gold in the event’s Olympic debut three years ago.
It wasn’t such a golden night at rain-soaked Stade de France, where American sprinter Sha’carri Silver won silver in the women’s 100-meter dash.
Richardson was beat by Julien Alfred, who gave Saint Lucia its first ever Olympic medal with her victory. Alfred got off to a fantastic start, then powered through the rain and beat Richardson by .15 seconds — about three body lengths. It was the biggest margin in the women’s Olympic 100 since 2008.
The Americans settled for silver and bronze for Richardson and Melissa Jefferson.
Earlier in the day, Noah Lyles finished second in a sluggish first-round qualifying heat to make the semifinals in the men’s 100. The semifinals and finals for that race are set for Sunday.
In another defeat, the Americans’ 4×400 mixed relay was beat by the Netherlands a day after it set a world record in qualifying. Kaylyn Brown was chased down over the final 10 meters of the anchor leg by Dutch runner Femke Bol in the mild upset.
There was still one American victory at athletics: Ryan Crouser won his third straight gold in shot put by once again holding off countrymate Joe Kovacs, who took silver.
U.S. men’s basketball rolls
The U.S. has the No. 1 seed going into the men’s basketball medal round.
Anthony Edwards scored 26 points, and the Americans wrapped up the top spot coming out of group play with a 104-83 win over Puerto Rico.
The Americans are 3-0 in these Olympics and 8-0 so far this summer. They face Brazil in the win-or-go-home quarterfinals in Paris on Tuesday.
It was the first Olympic matchup between the U.S. and Puerto Rico since the Athens Games in 2004, when Puerto Rico ran away in the second quarter and went on to embarrass the Americans 92-73.
American shooter wins fourth gold medal
U.S. shooter Vincent Hancock beat Conner Prince, his student, to capture his fourth Olympic gold medal in men’s skeet.
Hancock coaches Prince, a first-time Olympian, and turned around to share a hug with his silver medal-winning student after making his last two shots to ensure the gold. He hit 58 out of 60 shots to Prince’s 57.
Hancock won skeet gold at the Olympics in 2008, 2012 and 2021 and is the only skeet shooter to take the Olympic gold more than once.