Key posts
What to watch in the next 24 hours
By Daniel Lo Surdo
The 4x200m Australian women were near certainties, but that doesn’t mean it was easy
It’s more usual for a sports story to begin with a line about how an athlete or a team defied predictions, so it’s gratifying to be able to report here that what was most impressive about the Australian women’s 4x200m team, as they swam into history at La Defense on Thursday night, is that they validated predictions.
It’s a deceptively brilliant feat.
It’s natural and human to make predictions, projections, forecasts, call them what you will.
Sport is about the contest, and foretelling the result is the contest within the contest. As any number of office and school tipping competitions demonstrate, it’s not enough to barrack, you must also demonstrate your superior foresight as you do. Two related industries, horse racing and bookmaking, exist only because of this certainty.
But predictions weigh and pinch, and sometimes mock and, every now and then, crush.
Read the full story from Greg Baum here.
What to watch in the next 24 hours
By Daniel Lo Surdo
Tom Cruise set to star in closing ceremony
By Helen Pitt
Mission Impossible star Tom Cruise is reported to be set to star in the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics, handing the flag on to 2028 Games host Los Angeles.
Cruise, who lives much of the year in LA’s Beverly Hills, has filmed stunts in both cities as part of a pre-taped segment for the ceremony on August 11, according to TMZ.
Tom Cruise watching the artistic gymnastics qualification on day two of the Olympics at Bercy Arena.Credit: Getty Images
The ceremony plan, reported by the celebrity news site, involves the film star rappelling down from the top of Stade de France onto the field and carrying the official Olympic flag.
The broadcast will then cut to a pre-recorded stunt involving the 62-year-old skydiving down the Hollywood sign, after he’s shown flying in a plane with the Olympic flag from France to the US.
The segment involving LA’s iconic backdrop is believed to have been filmed in March this year.
Read the full story here.
What happened while you were sleeping
Welcome
Good afternoon all, and welcome to our live coverage of Paris 2024.
Things have gone a bit quiet over in Paris (sleep time), but there’s plenty of news to bring you until the first event starts at 4.30pm AEST.
Our first Australians are in action from 5pm AEST, when Jason Day and Min Woo Lee begin their second round at Le Golf National.
We’ll keep you up to speed until then.
Jason Day in action in round one of the men’s golf.Credit: AP
