Team USA’s Noah Lyles qualified for the 200-meter final but finished second in his semifinal. Four gold medals were won tonight in track and field.
Lithuania’s Mykolas Alekna broke his father’s Olympic record in the discus throw, going 69.97 meters, but just minutes later, Rojé Stona of Jamaica topped the mark and won the gold medal with his effort of 70.00 meters.
Team USA women, the overwhelming favorite to win basketball gold, cruised into the semifinals, beating Nigeria 88-74.
Meanwhile, the Indian Olympic Association lodged “a strong protest” after three-time Olympian Vinesh Phogat — the first Indian woman to qualify for an Olympic wrestling final — was disqualified for not making her weight.
Superstar swimmer Katie Ledecky told CNN “the energy here in Paris has been incredible,” after playing a significant role herself in creating some of the magical moments by winning four medals — two gold, one silver and one bronze.
Our live coverage has ended. You can check out our Olympic medal tracker for the latest.
Broken records and nail-biting finishes: What you might have missed at the Olympics today
From CNN staff
Track and Field is fully underway in Paris with everything from nail-biting semi-final races setting up the drama tomorrow, multiple broken records in one event and thrilling finishes for gold.
Here’s what happened on the track and on the field on Wednesday:
Men’s 400-meter run: In the final meters of the race, American Quincy Hall overtook Great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith in a thrilling finish, beating the Team GB runner to the line by .04 seconds. Zambia’s Muzala Samukonga won bronze.
Men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase: Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali charged down the final stretch to win the 3,000-meter steeplechase, chasing down Kenneth Rooks in the final stages after the American had led much of the final lap.
Men’s discus: Records were being broken one after the other in the discus throw. First, Mykolas Alekna of Team Lithuania broke the Olympic record that belonged to his father. The throw went 69.97 meters. That tops his dad, Virgilijus Alekna, who had a 69.89 throw 20 years ago in Athens. Then, minutes later, Jamaica’s Rojé Ston took the record for himself with a 70-meter throw — enough to take home gold in a major upset.
Women’s pole vault:Australia’s Nina Kennedy beat Katie Moon in the pole vault after the American failed two attempts at clearing 4.95 meters.
And here’s a look at how other events played out today:
Basketball: The USA women’s basketball team cruised past Nigeria to advance to the semifinals. They won 88-74. Two-time MVP A’ja Wilson had a dominant night with a game-high 20 points to go with 11 rebounds and two blocks.
Volleyball: Poland’s men’s volleyball team is gold-medal game bound for the first time since 1976 after a wild five sets full of epic back-and-forth play. They defeated the United States. Poland will play the winner of Italy and France’s semifinal match.
Sailing: Marit Bouwmeester of the Netherlands became the most successful woman in Olympic sailing after winning the women’s dinghy gold on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Australia’s Matt Wearn retained his men’s dinghy sailing Olympic title. The men’s dinghy race was initially abandoned midway through due to weather.
Weightlifting: China’s Li Fabin successfully defended his men’s 61kg weightlifting title and set a new Olympic record.
Skateboarding: Australia’s Keegan Palmer successfully defended his men’s park skateboarding title. He already had the gold medal in the bag by the time he was the last skater to compete on his third run.
Artistic swimming: Team USA was thrilled with their performance scoring a 271.3166, which put them in gold medal position for a brief time. But, China followed the USA with a more difficult routine and grabbed gold. USA finished in silver. Spain came in third.
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USA has lead cut late on but cruises past Nigeria to reach women's basketball semifinals
From CNN's Matias Grez
After the USA had opened up a 30-point lead in the third quarter, Nigeria cut the deficit to 14 by the horn with an impressive fourth-quarter performance.
However, the late run was never going to be enough and the Americans cruised to an 88-74 win to reach the semifinals.
There was some drama late on as the USA took umbrage with Ezinne Kalu playing until the final buzzer and scoring a late layup, leading Kahleah Copper to receive a technical foul for petulantly throwing the ball at Kalu’s leg.
Two-time MVP A’ja Wilson had a dominant night with game-high 20 points to go with 11 rebounds and two blocks.
Promise Amukamara, Amy Okonkwo and Kalu impressed for Nigeria, registering 19, 17 and 16 points respectively.
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Mykolas Alekna reacts to breaking his father's Olympic record and still only getting silver
From CNN's Kyle Feldscher in Paris
Mykolas Alekna reacts after finishing second in the men's discus throw final in Paris, on August 7.
Kirby Lee/USA Today/Reuters
It was quite a few minutes of whiplash for Lithuanian Mykolas Alekna.
First, he set a new Olympic record to take the lead in the discus throw event, besting his father’s mark from the 2004 Games in Athens. And then, not long after, he was in second place and looking up at Rojé Stola of Jamaica, who had just topped his Olympic record and – eventually – his gold medal.
“I had an Olympic record for a few throws; it was great to break it. It was a great experience and I am happy to bring home a medal. I am not sad or anything, it is just pure joy. Of course, my expectation was to win, but sometimes, it does not happen. I am so glad for this silver,” he said after.
But when asked how it felt to break the record set by his father Virgilijus, Alekna only said: “I am happy with a medal.”
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Sarah Hildebrandt wins women's 50kg freestyle wrestling gold for the USA
From CNN's Matias Grez
Sarah Hildebrandt celebrates after winning gold in the women's freestyle wrestling 50kg class in Paris, on August 7.
Sarah Stier/Getty Images
The USA’s Sarah Hildebrandt won gold in the women’s freestyle wrestling 50kg class with a 3-0 victory over Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzmán.
Hildebrandt had originally been scheduled to fight Vinesh Phogat in the final, but the Indian wrestler sensationally failed to make weight earlier on Wednesday, meaning Guzmán – who had lost to Phogat – was moved up into the gold medal bout.
It’s fair to say Hildebrandt couldn’t believe what she had done.
“Oh my gosh I just won the FREAKING OLYMPICS hahahahah DUUUUDE,” she wrote on X.
Oh my gosh I just won the FREAKING OLYMPICS hahahahah DUUUUDE
The bronze medals went to Japan’s Yui Susaki, who had never before tasted defeat until her stunning loss to Phogat, and Feng Ziqi of China.
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USA's lead balloons to as much as 30 over Nigeria in women's basketball quarterfinals
From CNN's Matias Grez
The US’ lead grew to as much as 30 in the third quarter of its women’s basketball quarterfinal against Nigeria.
A buzzer-beating layup means the advantage will be 28 going into the fourth, but the Americans have been utterly dominant since the start of the second half and are well worthy of their 76-48 lead.
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Taiwan boxer Lin Yu-ting wins 57kg semifinal bout to advance to gold medal match
From CNN's Wayne Sterling
Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting beat Esra Yildiz Kahraman of Turkey on Wednesday to advance to the women’s 57kg boxing gold medal match.
Lin won by a unanimous points decision (5-0) at Roland Garros Stadium.
After the bout, Kahraman opened the ropes so Lin so could exit the ring in a show of sportsmanship.
The 28-year-old Lin will face Poland’s Julia Szeremeta in the final on Saturday.
Lin finished ninth in this competition at 2020 Tokyo.
Alongside Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, Lin has become a flashpoint for an often misinformed debate about how women are allowed to compete in sports.
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Team USA opens up commanding 52-33 lead over Nigeria in women's basketball quarterfinals
From CNN's Matias Grez
An overview shows USA's #15 Brittney Griner (Top C) go for a rebound next to Nigeria's #33 Nicole Enabosi (Top R) in the women's quarterfinal basketball match between Nigeria and USA today at the Bercy Arena in Paris.
Aris Messinis/Pool/AFP/Getty Images
Team USA is in complete control at halftime in its women’s basketball quarterfinal against Nigeria.
The star-studded squad is leading 52-33 at the break, but the US didn’t have it all its own way.
After the Americans opened up an early double-digit lead, Nigeria managed to reduce the deficit to just four points in the second quarter.
However, the USA’s quality began to shine through as the first half wore on. The team is being led by two-time WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart, who has a game-high 13 points at the half and has made five of her seven shots, including 2-of-3 from three-point range.
Nigeria’s Ezinne Kalu is having a game to remember with 12 points at halftime on 67% shooting.
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Soufiane El Bakkali takes gold in thrilling 3,000m steeplechase final, US' Kenneth Rooks wins silver
From CNN's Kyle Feldscher in Paris
Soufiane El Bakkali of Team Morocco celebrates winning the gold medal in the men's 3000m steeplechase final at Stade de France on August 7.
Al Bello/Getty Images
What a thrilling finale to tonight’s action here at the Stade de France!
Soufiane El Bakkali charges in the final stretch to win the 3,000-meter steeplechase, chasing down Kenneth Rooks in the final stages after the American had led much of the final lap.
There’s a big concern on the western side of the track after Lamecha Girma of Ethiopia, who had been among the leaders the entire race, is being tended to by medical staff. Girma failed to clear a barrier about 200 meters from the finish line and landed extremely hard on the track.
The Ethiopian didn’t get up and laid on the track for several minutes after falling.
He’s carried off by medical personnel on a backboard and is being taken to the back.
El Bakkali rings the winners’ bell and goes off on his victory lap, celebrating with the Moroccans here.
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Nina Kennedy of Australia tops Katie Moon of the USA to take gold in the women's pole vault
From CNN's Kyle Feldscher in Paris
Australia's Nina Kennedy competing today in the women's pole vault final of the athletics event at Stade de France in Saint-Denis.
Andrej Isakovic//AFP/Getty Images
Australia’s Nina Kennedy is going to beat Katie Moon in the pole vault after the American failed two attempts at clearing 4.95 meters.
Moon had failed her first attempt at getting over 4.90 meters and then opted to pass the rest of that height, which meant she only got two opportunities to clear 4.95 meters. Kennedy passed the 4.90-meter height on her first attempt.
Kennedy and Moon both failed on their first attempts at 4.95 meters, which meant that it all came down to Moon’s last jump. If she cleared the bar, then Kennedy would have had to match her and clear it herself. But if she missed, she handed the Aussie the gold and would have to settle for silver.
Moon ran down the runway and planted her pole, but just couldn’t get her body over the bar. It fell to the ground and Kennedy began to sob as she was mobbed by her family in the stands.
This post has been updated with quotes from Australia’s Nina Kennedy.
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Jamaica's Rojé Stona wins the gold medal in the discus throw in a major upset
From CNN's Kyle Feldscher in Paris
Rojé Stona of Team Jamaica celebrates after breaking the Olympic record during the men's discus throw qualification at Stade de France today.
Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Rojé Stona has just ruined the Alekna family’s plan for a party in Paris.
The Jamaican has topped Mykolas Alekna, the top-ranked discus thrower in the world and the owner of the world record. Stona takes home the gold and the Olympic record that Alekna held for a few short minutes earlier tonight.
Alekna had beaten his father’s Olympic record with a toss of 69.97 meters on his second throw of the competition. But just a bit later, Stona tossed the discus 70 meters even, setting a new Olympic record and doing enough to take home the gold.
The stage was set for Alekna to top Stona on his final throw, but the disappointing effort fell well short.
“It’s a very special night. It’s everything I wanted, but for it to actually happen, it’s a very good feeling,” Stona said post-final.
Stona finished 19th in the world championships in 2023, yet became an Olympic champion one year later, a feat that surprised even the Jamaican.
This post has been updated with quotes from Jamaica’s Rojé Stona.
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Mohammadhadi Saravi wins men's 97kg Greco-Roman wrestling gold for Iran
From CNN's Matias Grez
Armenia's Artur Aleksanyan (red) wrestles Iran's Mohammadhadi Saravi (blue) in their men's greco-roman 97kg wrestling final match at the Champ-de-Mars Arena in Paris on August 7.
Punit Paranjpe/AFP/Getty Images
Iran’s Mohammadhadi Saravi has beaten Artur Aleksanyan of Armenia 4-1 to take home the gold medal in the men’s Greco-Roman wrestling 97kg class.
Cuba’s Gabriel Rosillo and Uzur Dzhuzupbekov of Kyrgyzstan took bronze.
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Team USA's Quincy Hall charges down the stretch for an incredible come-from-behind win in the 400 meters
From CNN's Kyle Feldscher in Paris
Quincy Hall of United States crosses the finish line to win the final alongside second placed Matthew Hudson-Smith of Britain and third palced Muzala Samukonga of Zambia.
Pawel Kopczynski/Reuters
The competitors are out for the men’s 400-meter final race and American Quincy Hall is the favorite here in an otherwise wide-open race
Running out of lane eight, Hall seemed to barely get out of a jog during qualifying for this race and feels likely to take home the gold here — possibly with a new world record.
The gun sounds and they’re off! A massive roar from the Stade de France crowd as 80,000 watch the first gold medal race of the evening.
Hall trails most of the race and is in sixth as they come around the final curve. But here comes Hall!
Charging down the final straightaway, Hall makes up ground quickly — the effort written on his face — and he’s suddenly passing runners.
In the final meters, Hall overtakes Great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith in a thrilling finish, beating the Team GB runner to the line by .04 seconds!
On his unbelievable finish, Hall told reporters afterwards: “I was just thinking, ‘Get home, sir. Get home, sir.’”
As a result, it’s a gold for Quincy Hall, silver for Hudson-Smith and bronze for Zambia’s Muzala Samukonga.
Hall rings the victory bell here at the Stade de France and takes off his shoes to pose for a photo.
He grabs Old Glory and goes for a shoeless victory lap around the track here, being cheered as he goes. It’s an incredible moment for the American, who ran a personal best and led for only a tenth of a second in the race, leaning across the finish line to take the gold from Hudson-Smith.
This post has been updated with quotes from Team USA’s Quincy Hall.
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Jamaica's Rojé Stona tops Mykolas Alekna's Olympic record in the discus, minutes after it was set
From CNN's Kyle Feldscher in Paris
Rojé Stona, of Jamaica, competes during the men's discus throw final on Wednesday in Saint-Denis.
Matthias Schrader/AP
An incredible moment here at the Stade de France!
Mere minutes after Lithuania’s Mykolas Alekna beats his father’s Olympic record in the discus throw, Jamaica’s Rojé Stona outdoes him and takes it for himself.
With an incredible 70-meter throw, Stona is now in the lead for gold and has the Olympic record. It’ll take another Olympic record to top him, but Alekna owns the world record in this competition and will feel like he can do it.
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Poland's Natalia Kaczmarek wins third semifinal heat in the women's 400-meter run
From CNN's Kyle Feldscher in Paris
Poland's Natalia Kaczmarek (L) crosses the finish line ahead of Britain's Amber Anning (R) in the women's 400m semifinal of the athletics event today.
Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP/Getty Images
Natalia Kaczmarek of Poland is on to the finals after winning the third semifinal heat here in the women’s 400-meter run.
Amber Anning of Great Britain finishes in second.
Kaczmarek finishes in 49.45 seconds, Anning in 49.47.
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China beats the USA to gold in enthralling team acrobatic routine final
From CNN's Jen Bernstein in Paris
Team China compete in the team acrobatic routine of the artistic swimming event today at the Aquatics Centre in Saint-Denis, north of Paris.
Manan Vatsyayana//AFP/Getty Images
Some of the best athletes in Paris are competing right now!
The artistic swimmers representing 10 countries that have qualified for the team acrobatic routine are delighting the packed Saint-Denis Aquatic Center.
Jaw dropping synergy and stunts … it’s like watching swimming combined with dance, gymnastics, cheerleading and the endurance of water polo.
Team USA was thrilled with their performance scoring a 271.3166, which put them in gold medal position for a brief time.
China followed the USA with a more difficult routine and grabbed gold. USA finishes in silver. Spain in third.
Canada used Snoop Dog music, so clearly the People’s Choice award!
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Down to four competitors in the women's pole vault as bar goes up to 4.90 meters
From CNN's Kyle Feldscher in Paris
Amálie Švábíková reacts after her vault.
Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters
Amálie Švábíková of the Czech Republic is out of the women’s pole vault competition after failing to clear the 4.85-meter bar.
Heading into the 4.90-meter height, only Australian Nina Kennedy, American Katie Moon, Canadian Alysha Newman and Swiss Angelica Moser remain.
Moser decided to pass on her third attempt at 4.85 meters, meaning she has to clear 4.90 meters on her first attempt or else she is eliminated from the competition.
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Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic crushes the field in second women's 400-meter semi
From CNN's Kyle Feldscher
Marileidy Paulino of Dominican Republic in action during the women's 400m semifinal at Stade de France.
Aleksandra Szmigiel/Reuters
Marileidy Paulino just ran away from the pack in the second women’s 400-meter semifinal, easily qualifying for the final. She finished in 49.21 seconds.
Alexis Holmes of Team USA finished almost a second later to take the second qualifying spot, running her lap of the track in 50 seconds flat.
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Nao Kusaka wins gold for Japan in men's 77kg Greco-Roman wrestling
From CNN's Matias Grez
Nao Kusaka of Japan celebrates winning gold in the men's greco-roman 77kg final match against Demeu Zhadrayev of Kazakhstan.
Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters
Japan’s Nao Kusaka has won gold in the men’s Greco-Roman wrestling 77kg class, beating Demeu Zhadrayev ofKazakhstan on points in the final.
Kusaka, the 2023 World Championships bronze medalist, outscored Zhadrayev 5-2.
Armenia’s Malkhas Amoyan and Akzhol Makhmudov of Kyrgyzstan won the bronze medals.
This post has been updated with quotes from Japan’s Nao Kusaka.
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Bahrain's Salwa Eid Naser wins first semifinal heat of the women's 400-meter run
From CNN's Kyle Feldscher in Paris
Salwa Eid Naser, center, of Bahrain, competes in the women's 400-meter semifinal on Wednesday in Saint-Denis.
Martin Meissner/AP
Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain won the first semifinal heat of the women’s 400-meter run, qualifying for the finals with a time of 49.08 seconds.
Rhasidat Adeleke of Ireland took the second qualifying spot in the race with a time of 49.95 seconds.
