Paris Olympics 2024: What you need to know right now

PARIS: Leon Marchand won an unprecedented two Olympic finals in the pool in one night, delighting a rapturous home crowd and securing his status as France's face of the Games so far.

His golden evening capped a good day all round for the Paris organisers, as the much talked about triathlon in the Seine got the go ahead after a pre-dawn notice informed teams that the river's murky waters were at last safe enough to proceed.

Here's what you need to know about the Olympics so far.

MARVELLOUS MARCHAND

France's Olympic poster boy Marchand completed an unprecedented 200 metres breaststroke and butterfly double on Wednesday with his third gold of the Paris Games, raising the roof at a rocking La Defense Arena.

The 22-year-old, who won the Individual Medley on Sunday, sent sound levels off the scale as he added the 200 breaststroke to the butterfly gold at the distance in which he prevailed barely two hours earlier - both in Olympic record time.

LEDECKY'S DOZEN

Katie Ledecky won her 12th Olympic medal after blitzing the rest of the field in the 1,500 metres freestyle. The American now shares the record for most Olympic medals in women's swimming with Americans Jenny Thompson, Dara Torres and Natalie Coughlin, and Australian Emma McKeon.

SPAIN'S 'NADALCARAZ' BOW OUT OF DOUBLES

Spain's dream team met its match as Rafa Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz's hopes of an Olympic doubles gold medal were ended by Americans Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek.

Their progress had captivated the crowds at Roland Garros where Nadal won a mind-boggling 14 French Open singles crowns but their journey was ended in a 6-2 6-4 quarter-final defeat.

SEINE-SATIONAL TRIATHLON

Paris City Hall will be breathing a sigh of relief. The pre-dawn green light to hold the triathlon swim events in the Seine came shortly before 4 a.m., despite overnight thunder storms.

France's Cassandre Beaugrand won the women's race while Britain's Alex Yee triumphed in the men's contest.

DOPING ROW

China's anti-doping agency (CHINADA) has accused the New York Times of politicising doping issues and said the publication was trying to "affect the psychology" of Chinese athletes at the Paris Olympics.

The Times reported on Tuesday that two Chinese swimmers in 2022 tested positive for a banned steroid but had provisional suspensions lifted when the results were blamed on contaminated food.

The story followed the paper's report in April that 23 swimmers had tested positive for a banned substance in 2021 but were cleared to swim after CHINADA determined they had been exposed to food contaminated in a hotel kitchen.

SHERICKA DROPS 100m

Jamaica's twice 200 metres world champion Shericka Jackson will not contest the sprint double at the Paris Olympics after dropping the 100 from her programme, team manager Ludlow Watts said.

ADULT-THEMED

While many athletes scrabble for sponsors to keep their Olympic dreams afloat, gay rower Robbie Manson has taken a novel approach by setting himself up on the adults-only OnlyFans website.

OLYMPIC FEVER

Stadiums are packed. Crowds are going wild, chanting, applauding, supporting the home team. And the French are also tuning in by the millions to watch the Games on TV. After months of doom and gloom, Olympic fever has caught on in France.

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