We’re just one week into the Olympic schedule and already so much has happened. Everything’s moving at such a frenetic pace, it’s hard to write about any one outcome before something else happens that upends everything. But I thought I’d take a moment to recap and review some of what we’ve seen already and note some of the early successes of Team LGBT.
Incoming: The Knockouts
Yesterday, women’s football completed the final stage of group play and now eight teams — the top two finishers in each group and the two best third place teams — move onto the quarterfinals. Before I hop into breaking down the match-ups, can we pause and just acknowledge the amazing play of gay players in the opening rounds of the Olympic tournament? Absolute golazos from Leicy Santos for Colombia, Lea Schüller for Germany, Alanna Kennedy and Hayley Raso for Australia, and Alèxia Putellas for Spain. And then, Michelle Heyman perhaps pulling off the performance of the tournament — causing absolute chaos — and bringing Australia back from a 5-2 deficit against Zambia? What an incredible showing from the rainbow coalition thus far…let’s hope we see more in the knockout stage.
The bracket is SET for the Women's Soccer Knockout Stage at the Paris 2024 Olympics 🏟️
Who's advancing to the semifinals on Saturday? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/49Sdm8FDsG
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 31, 2024
France finished atop Group A, behind the outstanding play of Marie-Antoinette Katoto. The Paris Saint-Germain striker has five goals in Olympic competition thus far — she’s the leader for the tournament’s Golden Boot — and it’s clear that she’s been what’s missing in the French attack. The host nation will face a shorthanded Brazillian squad in the quarterfinals. The Selecao will be without their captain, Marta, who picked up a red card in first half stoppage time against Spain (it was a deserved card but even the Spanish players looked heartbroken by the call). I’d love to believe that Brazil can rally — they’ll do it for Marta! — but, frankly, their attack has looked flat without her on the pitch. It’s a heartbreaking way to (possibly) end the international career of the greatest of all time.
The Emma Hayes era has officially begun for the United States Women’s National Team and, frankly, it’s hard to imagine it going any better. The Americans swept through Group B, claiming their first Olympic sweep since 2012 (where the team won the gold). Hayes has unlocked the goal scoring prowess of that front three — Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith, and Mallory Swanson — and it’s been a joy to behold. Still, though: the USWNT’s opening round performance did little to allay my concerns about the strength of the midfield and Sam Coffey’s absence (starting Coffey vs. Australia was a mistake, IMO) in the quarterfinals will be a big loss.
The USWNT midfield will need to be at its best against Japan, who advance to the quarterfinals after a second place finish in Group C. I thought Japan looked a little shaky in their opening match — they’re certainly missing the services of their superstar forward, Jun Endo — but as the tournament went on, the team seemed to gain confidence and returned to the form we’ve come to expect from Nadeshiko. Japan and USA have given us some classic matches, including that 2012 gold medal game, so fans could be in for a treat on Saturday.
Spain continued their dominance on the international stage, sweeping their opening round opponents. There were moments when I thought Spain looked a little lackadaisical on the pitch — their performance against Nigeria, in particular, was perplexing — but, in the end, their offense is just too potent. Aitana Bonmatí, Alexia Putellas, Jenni Hermoso…it all just feels like a cheat code. The defending World Cup champions will face a Colombia team that, even through three matches, remains a bit of an unknown. The team’s been playing without their superstar striker, Mayra Ramirez, after a red card in their opening game kept her sidelined in group play. Linda Caicedo has been quiet offensively but in Colombia’s last match vs. Canada, we started to see some of the flashes of the player who captivated fans at the World Cup. An in form Colombian attack featuring Ramirez, Caicedo, Santos, and Pavi Manuela certainly could give Spain a serious challenge in the quarterfinals.
In a battle between the last two Olympic champions, Canada and Germany, will meet in the quarterfinals after both finishing second in their groups. It feels like a dramatic understatement to note how improbable Canada’s presence here is. After the suspension of their head coach, being assessed a six point penalty, and a pre-game rejection of their appeal, it looked like Canadian hopes of advancing in this tournament were dashed. But the Canadian players were determined to prove themselves and to not let their team be defined by other people’s actions. They banded together and ran the table, winning every game in group play.
Admittedly, I didn’t know what to expect from Germany coming into this tournament. Their opening match performance against Australia — a 3-0 drubbing — alleviated some of my concerns about what Die Frauen would look like, sans Lena Obendorf. But Germany’s performance against the US? Yikes. That match made me wonder if this German squad can compete alongside the world’s best…Canada’s going to be a great test for them.
So that’s my take on these quarterfinal match-ups, what do you think? What were your standout moments from the group stage? Who do you think will advance to the Olympic semifinals?
Olympic Games Highlights
Here are just a few of my favorite Olympic moments thus far:
+ The Young and the Fearless: One of my favorite sports to watch during the Olympics is skateboarding, despite the fact that most of what I know about the sport has been gleaned from hours of playing Tony Hawk Pro Skater. There are no age restrictions on skateboarding in the Games so participants in Street ranged in ages from 11 (!!) to 27. Unreal!
+ We’re All Rugby Fans Now: Despite the sports widespread popularity across the globe, rugby has never really captivated the American imagination but that may be changing. The United States’ improbable third place finish in the women’s rugby sevens competition, coupled with Ilona Maher’s social media efforts, have won this team and this game a lot of new fans. It’s an amazing feat, really, particularly when you consider that the program was on the verge of closing. According to Maher, “Our coach said to us if we don’t win a medal, we might not have a program next year, and so…we delivered.” Their effort also secured the bag for USA Rugby: businesswoman and investor Michele Kang, owner of the Washington Spirit and the London City Lionesses and co-owner of the Baltimore Orioles, pledged $4 million over four years to help the team prepare for the Olympic Games in 2028.
The influx of new fans comes at the perfect time: Women’s Elite Rugby, a top flite semi-professional league, is set to launch in 2025. The WER expects to have 6-8 teams for its inaugural season and has just announced franchises in Boston, Chicago, and Denver.
+ Gold Medal in Shade: Sports are stressful. Watching both my alma mater’s teams advance to the Final Four earlier this year left me in a perpetual state of nervousness. But no sport provokes anxiety in me quite like gymnastics does. I know that serious injuries can happen in any sport at any time, but there’s just something about gymnastics and how thin the line is between awe-inspiring and absolute calamity that always gets me. Of course, like most folks — the women’s team final pulled in monster ratings — I watch anyway (though possibly through my fingers).
Two things kept me calm during this week’s festivities: first and foremost, the imminently likeable Laurie Hernandez who served as one of the events’ commentators. She’s just a joy. She balances sharing her gymnastic expertise — honed by years of competing herself and winning Olympic gold in 2016 — with an approachable nature that makes it easier to learn about the sport. Plus, you know: the gay! The other thing that kept me calm was the opportunity for the US Team to silence some of the haters, including MyKayla Skinner. Back in late June, the former gymnast turned influencer criticized the 2024 team for being lazy and having less talent and work ethic than previous gymnasts. It’s a refrain that we hear often when lineups which once featured white athletes in central roles, diversify (see also: Carly Lloyd and the USWNT).
But Simone Biles and Team USA let their performance speak for them…and then took to Instagram to throw some much deserved shade. I loved it so much.
+ Stunning 3×3 Results: This isn’t so much a highlight but I remain stunned at the underwhelming performance of Team USA in the 3×3 competition. My group chat has surmised that we’re just not used to seeing American women lose on the court.
+ Snoop’s New Jobby Job: Could a young Natalie, brought up in the age of East Coast/West Coast beef and Death Row Records and who stole away to listen to Doggystyle out of the earshot of my parents, have ever imagined a day when Snoop Dogg would become the face of NBC’s Olympic coverage? Not ever in life.
What have been your favorite moments of the Games thus far?
Team LGBT Finishes:
Olivia Apps (Canada)
Results: Rugby Sevens (2nd, Silver)
Alice Bellandi (Italy)
Results: Judo – 78kg (1st Place, Gold)
Remaining Event: Mixed Team
Perris Benegas (United States)
Results: Cycling – BMX Freestyle (2nd, Silver)
Amandine Buchard (France)
Results: Judo – 52kg (3rd, Bronze)
Remaining Event: Mixed Team
Teal Cohen (United States)
Results: Rowing – Quadruple Sculls (9th)
Alysha Corrigan (Canada)
Results: Rugby Sevens (2nd, Silver)
Natalya Diehm (Australia)
Results: Cycling – BMX Freestyle (3rd, Bronze)
Lauren Doyle (United States)
Results: Rugby Sevens (3rd, Bronze)
Nicole Heavirland (United States)
Results: Rugby Sevens (3rd, Bronze)
Alev Kelter (United States)
Results: Rugby Sevens (3rd, Bronze)
Evy Leibfarth (United States)
Results: Canoe Slalom: Kayak Single (15th) and Canoe Single (3rd, Bronze)
Remaining Events: Kayak Cross
Steph Rovetti (United States)
Results: Rugby Sevens (3rd, Bronze)
Lauren Scruggs (United States)
Results: Fencing: Foil Individual (2nd, Silver) and Foil Team (1st, Gold)
Rafaela Silva (Brazil)
Results: Judo – 57kg (5th)
Remaining Event: Mixed Team
Guusje Steenhuis (Netherlands)
Results: Judo -78kg (7th Place)
Remaining Event: Mixed Team
Sanne van Dijke (Netherlands)
Results: Judo – 70kg (5th)
Events: Mixed Team
Portia Woodman-Wickliffe (New Zealand)
Results: Rugby Sevens (1st, Gold)
We’ll update this list as events conclude.
Thank you for the recaps Natalie! Been stoked to see Team USA’s showing in Gymnastics, though it was freakin awesome to see Rebecca Andrade competing for Brazil, also just hugely impressive athleticism. And also, shoutout to Kaylia Nemour’s uneven bars routine…my coworkers and I were watching during our lunchbreak and were just absolutely flabergasted. Excited to see the individual competitions coming up. Sad to see Aus booted from soccer, but extremely excited to see Japan vs USA on Saturday. Cheers to all the athletes competing so far and a grand second week of competition :D
Vets in all sports really can be such haters to the younger generation, so I’m so glad when they can be quieted! Go Team FAAFO!!
https://certidor.com/
Vets in all sports really can be such haters to the younger generation, so I’m so glad when they can be quieted! Go Team FAAFO!!