2024 Olympics newsletter: Saturday is a big day in Paris

Welcome to your daily Olympics newsletter. I’m your tour guide John Cherwa as we head into a star packed weekend of finals.

There are no off days in the Olympics, but Friday’s wow factor was a little less than other days. So, what better time to share some random thoughts about the Games.

— It sure looks like the table in table tennis used in the Olympics is smaller than the one in your rec room. But it’s not, it’s the exact same size.

— The U.S. women winning the team foil in fencing was a first ever accomplishment. But it didn’t get the attention it maybe should have, but the reason is good. Olympic fencing in the U.S. has improved so much in the last decade that winning a gold medal is not all that shocking.

— Wouldn’t the 20-kilometer walk be a more fun if you also had to walk your dog along a grass-lined path with plenty of smells and hydrants. There would be time penalties if you drag your dog while sniffing. Guarantee it would be a hit on TV. Everything is better with a dog.

— Why does field hockey use a green card for a penalty instead of yellow or red? Where I come from, green means go.

— Snoop Dogg is growing on me. My old man curmudgeonliness (yes, that’s a word) was immediately skeptical of his value to the coverage. But he’s been excited and his segments have not been too long. He seems to be having fun, working hard and is pretty difficult to dislike.

— Friends and colleagues of mine have been critical of the NBC’s coverage. But it’s fair to remember that they have little control over live action feeds. They are all supplied by Olympic Broadcasting Services, which is usually a multi-national collection of veterans who know what they are doing.

— Are you as sick of the Today crew saying bonjour as I am?

— If you watch the big events live during the day, there is no reason to watch the primetime show. There are some new features, but not enough to give up three hours of your time. (That’s for those of you who don’t work during the day.) I might suggest those who have seen the events go to Apple+ and catch the seven-part adaptation of Scott Turow’s “Presumed Innocent.” Stay ‘til the end.

—Were you surprised that Simone Biles didn’t invite Suni Lee to the top of the medal platform after the all-around during the playing of the national anthem? I was.

—Did you know that Canyon Barry, son of NBA hall of famer Rick Barry, shoots free throws underhanded just like his dad? He’s playing for the U.S. 3 X 3 team.

French star of the Games

Katie Ledecky may be the career star of the Games in swimming, but there is little doubt Leon Marchand of France is this Games’ swimming star. He won his fourth gold medal on Friday by winning the 200-meter individual medley. He also won gold in the 400 individual medley, 200 butterfly and 200 backstroke. With Snoop Dogg at equestrian, French President Emmanuel Macron was the biggest celebrity in attendance.

The U.S. only picked up only one medal, Regan Smith getting silver in the women’s 200 backstroke. Kaylee McKeown of Australia got the gold. Cameron McEvoy of Australia won the men’s 50 freestyle. Caeleb Dressel of the U.S. was sixth.

Here are some other highs and lows from Friday’s competition:

—Sha-Carri Richardson returned to the Olympics by smoking her competition in the women’s 100-meter heats. The track star was ruled out of the 2021 Tokyo Games when she tested positive for marijuana. (Now, we’re no expert but it seems marijuana would only be a performance enhancer in a Doritos eating contest, not any Olympic sports.) Grant Fisher got a bronze in the men’s 10,000 meters.

—The dream of the U.S. men’s soccer team turned into a predictable nightmare as it was routed by Morocco, 4-0. It was the first time that the U.S. has played in the knockout round since 2000. Morocco established itself when it beat Argentina in a controversial opener in pool play. The U.S. goes home. You can read Kevin Baxter’s full report here.

It was kind of a home match for Morocco because the country was at one time two countries — French Morocco and Spanish Morocco. (In fact, your newsletter host was born in French Morocco, on a U.S. Navy base. Not a good thing after 9/11 with a passport that said a birthplace of Morocco, which meant extra “random” screenings every time I flew.)

—Sagen Maddalena won the first U.S. medal in shooting these Games when she finished second in the women’s 50-meter rifle, Maddalena is a sergeant in the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit. Chiara Leone of Switzerland got the gold.

—The U.S. won a bronze in the archery mixed team, the U.S. equestrian team won silver in the team show jumping and the U.S. got bronze in the men’s skiff in sailing.

What’s your favorite Olympic sport?

On Friday, we asked you what was your favorite Summer Olympics sport. If you haven’t voted please do, we would love to know what you think.

Take the survey here.

What to watch for today

Saturday is a big day with 29 medals being awarded. Here is what you should watch for:

—Sha-Carri Richardson will likely go for the gold in the women’s 100-meter dash. It is one of five track and field medals on Saturday. There is also the men’s shot put, where Ryan Crouser of the U.S. is going for his third Olympic gold. Other finals are the women’s triple jump, men’s decathlon and 4 X 400 mixed relay, in which the U.S. has a medal chance. The shot finals are at 10:35 a.m. PDT and the women’s 100 at 12:20 p.m. PDT.

—Simone Biles goes in the vault and Stephen Nedoroscik in the pommel horse on the first of three days of individual competition. The program begins at 6:30 a.m. PDT.

—Katie Ledecky goes for her ninth lifetime gold when she competes in the 800-meter freestyle. The other finals are men’s 100 butterfly, women’s 200 individual medley and men’s 4 X 100 medley relay. Competition starts at 11:30 a.m. PDT.

—U.S. women’s soccer team plays Japan at 6 a.m. in the knockout round.

Must-read links

Let’s catch up on some stories you might have missed but shouldn’t have:

Your TV guide

How can you watch the Games today? Check out Saturday’s Olympic TV listings.