Team USA Piling Up Medals, French Swimmer has a Shot at 4th Gold

In today’s newsletter…

• Leading Off: The French sensation taking over Paris

• MLB: Low K line for Austin Gomber

• Column: Most impactful MLB trades

• Olympics: Wemby’s defense could keep point total low

• UFC: Sandhagen faces Nurmagomedov in UFC on ABC 7

• News: When will Team USA’s 16-year-old track star race?

PARIS — As of this morning, Team USA had the most medals at the 2024 Olympics, and at least so far they’re doing it more with depth than unexpected wins. The United States has the most silvers and bronzes, but China’s 13 golds lead the way. The U.S. and Great Britain are tied for second with nine. France, Japan and Australia have each won eight competitions, and the host nation’s 30 medals have them in second place overall, 11 behind the U.S.

At the Tokyo Games, Americans won 113 medals, 24 more than second-place China — though they squeaked by with a 39 to 38 advantage in golds. Team USA expects to rack up medals in track and field and should win two golds in basketball, so while they’re likely to end up with a wide margin in the medal count it could be another close race for most wins.

Twenty-two year old French swimmer Léon Marchand has more gold medals than all but nine countries and has quickly become a national sensation with three gold medals in three events. He currently has the most golds of any athlete (along with Australian swimmer Mollie O'Callaghan), set Olympic records in all three of his races, and won the 200-meter butterfly and the 200 breaststroke just two hours apart on Wednesday night. Marchand, an NCAA champion at Arizona State, is coached by Bob Bowman and is already drawing comparisons to Bowman’s greatest protege, Michael Phelps.

French television now builds up Marchand’s races like a presidential address. The crowd at Paris La Défense Arena works themselves into a frenzy any time a race features a French swimmer, but the chants of Lé-on! Lé-on! Lé-on! have been the loudest for any athlete at any venue at these Games. He has a chance for his fourth gold later today when he competes in the 200 individual medley. Only about 17,000 fans will get to watch in person, but millions of televisions across France will be tuned in to watch their gold-plated superstar compete for his fourth Olympic win.

Abe