U.S. swimmers robbed at gunpoint
Save for some green water in the competition pools, the Rio Olympics hadn't had any major distractions or disturbances. That changed Sunday morning when American swimmer Ryan Lochte had been held up at gunpoint along with three other U.S. swimmers. Their wallets were taken by men posing as police officers. The IOC initially denied the story despite USA TODAY Sports confirming it with Lochte's mother.
What had been a relatively seamless celebration immediately flipped into an Olympic Games on edge, as Christine Brennan wrote. Lochte released a statement saying he was "safe and unharmed," but that's still not going to sit well with athletes who are done competing and eager to explore Rio — it's already affecting security measures for the Australians.
'Immortal' Bolt
It wasn't a world record, and it wasn't particularly clean, but Usain Bolt is still the fastest man on earth. After a (relatively) slow start, Bolt charged past American Justin Gatlin for his third consecutive gold medal in the 100 meters. Those who knew what to look for before the race could tell it was in the bag.
Bolt has two more races in what he's said are his final Olympics. Keep in mind that in the seven Olympic events he's competed in, he has never lost. With a matured Bolt looking as focused as ever, we're guessing we're going to see more of his signature celebration, which has a pretty interesting backstory.
Bolt's friend, Andrew Fisher, didn't fare as well after he jumped the gun in a 100 semifinal and later blamed a helicopter for the distraction.
Elsewhere, South Africa's Wayde van Niekerk set the world record in the 400 meter, breaking Michael Johnson's 17-year-old mark. He cited imprisoned Oscar Pistorius as his inspiration. The United States' LaShawn Merritt finished third in the event.
Golf's triumphant return
Golf tasted its fair share of criticism after many top-flight names passed on the Olympics, citing apparently unfounded Zika concerns. One announcer found time to take a jab at said golfers, but regardless of who played, its return was thrilling. From an American angle, Matt Kuchar made it interesting with a final-round 63 to ultimately earn bronze. Great Britain's Justin Rose, he of the earlier hole-in-one, took gold while Sweden's Henrik Stenson finished second.
"I had to fight for every single thing today," Rose said.
Biles ahead of the rest
Simone Biles took her third gold of the Olympics, and — shocker — it wasn't even close. This time it was on the vault, where she earned bronze at last year’s world championships and then made it her mission to improve. It's safe to say she did that.
Biles' Olympics stands in stark contrast to that of Gabby Douglas', who only four years ago won the all-around in London. Douglas has been criticized incessantly for her inaction, her expressions and, yes, even her hair. It's the type of sobering spectacle that makes it important to remind people that despite her early fame, she is still 20 years old with an immensely bright future. She could even compete until she's 41, like this remarkable gymnast.
Grab bag
Let's close this out with some quick hits:
- The U.S. men's team hoops team survived again, beating France 100-97 to snag the top seed in Group A heading into the quarterfinals.
- Andy Murray made Olympic history with his second consecutive gold medal in tennis. He beat Juan Martin del Potro, who admitted "I got a silver medal, which means gold for me. When I saw the draw and my first match would be Djokovic, I said, ‘OK, it’s going to be a short tournament.'" A short tournament it was not.
- Little did you know — OK, maybe you did — but beach volleyball is one of the best parties in Rio.
- If you haven't given our Usain Bolt simulator a go yet, you probably should.
