UK Edition
Antoine Dupont seals dominant France victory over Argentina in rugby sevens grudge match
The Stade de France had never heard anything like it. Amid a deafening cacophony, France’s men’s sevens team burst into life to set their Olympic campaign alight, putting Argentina to the sword to book their semi-final against South Africa on Saturday.
Fittingly, it was their superstar who sealed victory, Antoine Dupont scampering through a gap in Argentina’s stationary defence to send a packed crowd into a frenzy. For now, his dream of becoming an Olympic champion continues to burn. For the hosts, it was the perfect antidote to a toxic 48 hours during which tensions simmered between the two countries. Argentina were booed on the opening day of rugby sevens on Wednesday amid an escalating race row following ugly events between the two nations across football and rugby circles.
Last week, Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez live-streamed a video of his Argentina team-mates singing a racist chant, directed at the French national team, during Copa America celebrations, while France full-back Melvyn Jaminet was sent home from his country’s tour of Argentina after the full-back posted a video claiming he would hit “the first Arab I come across on the road”.
So, it came as little surprise when Argentina raced onto the pitch amid a cauldron of boos. They were booed every time they had the ball, including when they had a try disallowed. That was with three minutes remaining before super-sub Dupont’s diving try – as he intuitively spotted a gap after the hooter had sounded – settled matters.
When he entered the action he added a calmness to proceedings after Argentina had clawed two tries back through Rodrigo Isgro and Marcos Moneta to set up a nervy final few minutes. When France’s Jordan Sepho was shown a yellow card late on for a high tackle, up stepped Dupont. His mazy run down the right – dragging half of the Argentina team with him – was one straight out of the playbook, before winning a crucial penalty on the floor at the death as he dragged the hosts over the finish line.
It is the presence of this sporting giant that has elevated the profile of rugby sevens in this country like few in the XVs code have done. “I don’t think we talk about this enough,” said France’s Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang, when asked about the significance of Dupont making the switch to the shorter code in pursuit of Olympic glory.
“He’s provided an exposure and he’s shone a light on the sevens circuit in a way nobody else has done. We’ve never seen a high-profile player like that take their time and give their energy to join the sevens circuit. What he’s doing to elevate the game is really admirable and honourable because it’s what the sport needed. The sport needed a star like him and to boost it up.”
Grandidier Nkanang, a London-born player who has a French mother, scored two sensational tries in a ferocious first half. The 24-year-old, who is an alumni of Old Elthamians and signed for Top-14 side Brive four years ago before honing his sevens career, acrobatically executed a stunning try in the corner for his second after an out-the-back offload by Jefferson-Lee Joseph.
“Jeff and I know each other really well,” said Grandidier Nkanang. “He’s my roomie, so maybe there’s that chemistry that comes into play. It’s a combination that’s worked really well since he arrived on the scene. He’s a monster at getting the ball away through contact. I knew I just needed to get the ball in his hands and he’d free up some space for me countless times.”
On the magnitude of the occasion, he added: “That was the biggest atmosphere, biggest crowd in my sevens career that I’ve ever played in front of. I felt so privileged and honoured to take part.”
France, with their sprinkling of Dupont stardust, should have been high on confidence entering their home Olympics after being crowned HSBC SVNS champions in Madrid last month, but the hosts suffered from stage fright on the opening day after being held to a 12-12 draw with the United States, before squeaking past Uruguay.
Having been beaten by two-time Olympic champions Fiji earlier in the day, it will take something special to knock the Pacific Islanders off their throne. But if this gutsy French team are anything to go by, you never know. For now, Dupont’s Olympic dream is burning brightly.
Day -1 of the Games: As it happened . . .
Rugby sevens semi-final line-up complete
Fiji and Australia join South Africa and France in the last four. Australia cruised past USA 18-0 while Fiji survived a valiant effort from Ireland, eventually overcoming them to win 19-15.
On Saturday, South Africa will play France and favourites Fiji take on Australia.
Star studded opening ceremony along Pari’s famous river
Lady Gaga and Celine Dion are expected to star on the banks of the River Seine on Friday night as Paris prepares to defy over a century of Olympic tradition.
The duo are reportedly set to perform a version of Edith Piaf’s ‘La Vie en Rose’ as part of a glittering conclusion to the first ever opening ceremony to be staged outside a stadium.
Instead, team delegations will set sail from the Austerlitz Bridge on a 6km journey through the centre of Paris to a unique finale close to the Trocadero.
Click here to learn everything you need to know about Friday’s big event.
Team GB snub Olympic Village food after complaints of raw meat
By Jeremy Wilson and Tom Morgan in Paris
Team GB have hit out over the Olympic Village food, accusing the Paris hosts of serving raw meat and causing shortages which have forced them to bring in an extra chef at their own alternative restaurant.
As part of their extensive planning, the British Olympic Association had hired an entire catering college in nearby Clichy as a performance base. The athletes are now snubbing the village in favour of the food cooked by the specialist Team GB chefs.
Click here to read more.
Rugby sevens: France 21 Argentina 0
First score of the match goes to the host nation as Andy Timo bulldozes his way past Argentina’s defence.
Moments later, the French tricolour is being waved by fans as Aaron Grandidier Nkanang bursts away down the right and finishes.
And the French complete a perfect first half when Grandidier Nkanang dives over in the corner expertly to get his second of the match.
Argentina, hotly tipped, are in disarray.
Rugby sevens: South Africa beat New Zealand 14-7
The first match of the rugby sevens quarter-finals was an absolute thriller. South Africa raced into a 14-0 lead and survived a second half fightback to book their place in the semi-finals.
Next up it is France vs Argentina.
‘Tension in the air’
Not long until hosts France meet Argentina in a mouth-watering quarter-final match-up in the men’s rugby sevens. It’s a full house tonight in the Stade de France and this clash will take place against the backdrop of a race row that has been brewing between the two countries across football and rugby circles. On my walk up to the Stade de France, you could definitely feel the tension in the air - there was lots of chanting breaking out among animated French fans marching up to the stadium.
Away from the political tension, it’s worth pointing out how sevens - a code that has historically been played out in cavernous stadiums - has been embraced by Parisians. Yesterday’s opening day attracted a record single-day crowd for rugby sevens, with 69,000 fans in attendance and millions more watching globally.
Classy moments from Djokovic to Murray
I heard the news about Andy and I hope that he will have the best possible farewell in his last competitive match in the Olympics, for him and his country.
He is a legend of our sport and has been an incredibly important player for tennis globally.
Team GB’s 17-year-old Phoebe Gill: Maths lessons kept me grounded after Olympics qualification
Maths lessons at school. British senior champion. Work experience teaching the reception class at her old primary school. A contract with Puma. And now the Eurostar to Paris as the youngest track and field Olympian for a generation.
That, in short order, has been the last four weeks for Phoebe Gill, a 17-year-old 800-metre runner, whose emergence this year has prompted a message of congratulations from Dame Kelly Holmes – Britain’s last Olympic champion over her distance – and comparisons with Emma Raducanu. The latter, says Gill, has been a definite inspiration for how the 2021 US Open winner combined education and sport in the weeks before her similarly meteoric rise culminated with a grand slam victory.
“Life has definitely changed this year but school has been really good in grounding me between the hectic things,” said Gill, ahead of her arrival in the Olympic village ahead of her first race next Friday. “Going to maths class after winning the British champs was a grounding experience and going to work experience the week after was really good for me.
“Being with the little kids after such a stressful but fun weekend was a really nice way to come back down to earth basically. I was there for a week. It’s a good thing to find that balance; a nice way to take your mind off athletics for a while.”
Click here to read Jeremy’s interview with Phoebe Gill.
Nadal injury fears
Reports in Spain suggest Rafael Nadal is facing an anxious wait over his participation at the Olympics.
His coach Carlos Moya has told Spanish media that the clay court legend felt discomfort in his right thigh/hamstring during doubles practice yesterday.
Moya said:
I can’t assure you Nadal will play. Today it was decided to stay to give him more time to recover from the setback that occurred yesterday. Let’s see if he can be ready tomorrow.
The most responsible thing right now with an event of this magnitude is not to force it.
Women’s football icon Marta puts Brazil ahead
The 38-year-old, who is set to retire from international football after the Olympic Games coolly slotted home in the first half to give her country the lead over Nigeria.
Security to be boosted following pitch invasion
Paris Olympics organisers said they would boost security at the Games and ensure security staff are available and well trained after a pitch invasion at a soccer match between Argentina and Morocco on Wednesday.
Organisers said the incident during the opening match of the soccer tournament - in which security staff chased fans around the pitch at Saint-Etienne Stadium - had not posed a major security risk and that lessons would be learned.
“We do not minimise the events of yesterday,” Olympics security director Bruno Le Ray told reporters, adding that additional staff and crowd barriers would be brought in for upcoming matches at Saint-Etienne, where access to the pitch is easier than at other stadiums.
Not long to go for these stars
Radcliffe: I am ashamed by my words about Dutch child rapist
Paula Radcliffe has said she is “ashamed” of her interview wishing luck to the convicted child rapist Steven van de Velde at the Olympics in a new apology.
Radcliffe was heavily criticised after giving an interview in which she said “we allow people who cheat in sport and take drugs to come back and compete, he was 19 at the time and he has served his jailed time” about Van de Velde, who will represent the Netherlands in beach volleyball at this summer’s Games in Paris.
Radcliffe apologised soon after her comments on Wednesday evening, but posted a second full apology to convey her regret over the controversy.
Click here to read Radcliffe’s apology.
Second equestrian abuse scandal erupts at Olympics as rider faces criminal proceedings
The Paris Olympics have been hit by fresh claims of equine abuse, with show jumping medal contender Max Kuehner of Austria subject to criminal proceedings in Germany for allegedly hitting his horse’s legs with a bar to make it jump higher.
Kuehner, the world No 3 in jumping, stands accused by the Munich II public prosecutor’s office of violating the German Animal Welfare Act by engaging in “active bar jumping” or “barring”. The technique is more commonly known as “rapping”, where a pole is used to smack the horse’s legs over a practice jump, forcing it to lift. It has been banned in Germany since May 2023.
Click here to read more.
Spain and Canada make winning starts
At the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes, Spain complete their fightback against Japan to win 2-1.
Canada also fought back from a goal down to beat New Zealand 2-1 in Group A.
In Group B, Germany have just kicked off against Australia. While in Group C, Nigeria face Marta’s Brazil.
Israel warns of Iran plan to target its athletes at Olympics
By Will Bolton
Israel’s foreign minister has reportedly warned French authorities of a possible Iranian-backed plot to attack the country’s athletes at the Olympics.
Israel Katz sent a letter to Stéphane Séjourné, his French counterpart, warning him of the potential targeting of the Israeli delegation during Paris 2024.
In the letter, parts of which were published by Israeli media, Mr Katz told the minister for Europe and foreign affairs of his concerns regarding a possible attack.
Click here to read more.
Rybakina withdraws
World No 4 Elena Rybakina has withdrawn from the Olympic Games. She was due to compete in the singles and mixed doubles draw.
It is another blow to the tennis event which has seen the likes of Jannik Sinner and Holger Rune also pull out.
Football half-times
Canada, the defending women’s champions, have scored a stoppage time equaliser against New Zealand. Cloe Lacasse bagged it with a sweeping right-foot shot from the left of the penalty spot and that means both matches are currently all-square.
Canada 1 New Zealand 1
Japan 1 Spain 1.
Uche Amako will be your guide for the rest of the evening and he will be covering the denouement of these two matches. Germany vs Australia, Nigeria vs Brazil, France vs Colombia, USA vs Zambia, plus four handball matches and, most mouthwateringly, the men’s rugby sevens quarter-finals.
The epic handball tussle
Between South Korea and Germany has just ended with the Koreans winning 23-22, Kang Kyung-min scoring what turned out to be the decisive goal, her sixth of the match.
Japan have scored the first goal of the women’s football tournament
Aoba Fujino has given Japan the lead against the world champions with a right-foot banger from a free-kick. Right of centre, she wrapped her right instep around it and bent it over the wall. The keeper, Cata Coll, got there but could only tip it on to the bar and in.
At roughly the same moment Mackenzie Barry of New Zealand has put her side 1-0 up against the defending champions Canada.
Japan have scored the first goal of the women’s football tournament
Aoba Fujino has given Japan the lead against the world champions with a right-foot banger from a free-kick. Right of centre, she wrapped her right instep around it and bent it over the wall. The keeper, Cata Coll, got there but could only tip it on to the bar and in.
At roughly the same moment Mackenzie Barry of New Zealand has put her side 1-0 up against the defending champions Canada.
Egalité? Non!
Two classes of punters in Paris…
Paris 2024 fans cannot drink alcoholic beer inside Olympic venues – but VIPs can.
In the women’s handball
Six minutes into the second half and it’s 12-12 between South Korea and Germany. It’s been a proper nipper throughout. Kang Kyung-min has scored five for South Korea, Antje Döll four for Germany.
Fine second-half comeback by the All Blacks
With tries from Leroy Carter and Ngarohi McGarvey-Black converted by Andrew Knewstubb. New Zealand 14-12 Ireland.
That means NZ take on South Africa in the quarter-finals, having beaten them 17-5 yesterday. Fading in the second period means Ireland face the formidable prospect of Fiji in the quarter-finals.
Tonight’s QF schedule
NZ vs South Africa, 8pm
France vs Argentina, 8.30pm
Fiji vs Ireland, 9pm
Australia vs USA, 9.30pm
In the final pool match at the rugby sevens
Both sides have already qualified with two wins each yesterday but victory in this will give either Ireland or New Zealand a slightly easier quarter-final. Zac Ward and Jordan Conroy have scored a try apiece by half-time which were converted by Mark Roche. So with seven minutes left and worries over Jordan Conroy who was hurt when scoring, it’s Ireland 12-0 NZ.
South Africa qualify for Sevens quarter-finals
South Africa who were beaten by Ireland and New Zealand yesterday have walloped Japan 49-5 which has turned their points difference from -17 to +27 and that means they have pipped Samoa, who finished third in Group B, to the last open quarter-final place.
France to play Argentina in Sevens quarter-final
France’s defeat by Fiji and Argentina’s by Australia leaves them facing each other in tonight’s quarter-final. It is bound to be a grudge match given the ill-feeling towards Argentina in France provoked by Enzo Fernandez’s video of Argentina’s footballers singing a racist, anti-French song. Fiji will play at 9pm and Australia at 9.30pm against opponents TBC.
If the last few years are anything to go by, the Hollywood scriptwriters love a sequel – and in Paris this evening we’re set to have another blockbusting follow-up.
As the last few days have shown, there is no love lost between France and Argentina on the sports field, regardless of the shape of the ball. Now, those two sides - both finalists in the SVNS world series grand final - will face off in the quarter-finals of the men’s sevens at the Olympics. It could be extremely spicy, indeed - in the crowd as much as on the field.
At 8.30pm BST tonight, all eyes will be on the Stade de France.
Fiji win the group
Fiji have remained unbeaten in their third cycle of Olympic competition, beating France 19-12 after a raking try down the left from Joji Nasova, diving through the final tackle to dot down. Andy Timo scored with the last move of the game for France to give them hope for the knockout stages and Rayan Rabbadj converted.
Brazil close out impressive women’s handball victory
Brazil 29-18 Spain was the final score, Patricia Matieli scoring six.
In the rugby Theo Forner has twisted his knee and has to go off for France. But they take the lead at the end of a scintillating move finished by DJ Aztec, AKA Aaron Grandidier Nkananag. J-P Barraque cannot convert from the far right so it’s France 5-0 Fiji.
France v Fiji begins
Having won and drawn yesterday, France have already qualified for the quarter-finals which will be played this evening. But they were not hugely impressive and, as Perry Baker just said, the defending champions Fiji were “just scary” yesterday. France have promised the home fans a different France will be on view today. Let’s see. Antoine Dupont starts as a replacement.
USA into quarter-final
A hat-trick for Perry Baker and a hat-trick of defeats for Uruguay who look pooped now. Uruguay captain Diego Ardao spent two of the last three minutes in the sin bin and watched the masked Baltazar Amaya step into the line, hand off his marker and burn 50m down the right to score.
Just before the end Baker ran in his fourth from 60m out and put the pedal to the metal. USA head into the quarters with a win and a draw.
Result: USA 33 Uruguay 17
Hester condemns Dujardin
Carl Hester, the leading dressage star who counted Charlotte Dujardin as a protégé, is among signatories on a letter “universally” condemning her repeatedly striking a horse with a long whip.
Dujardin, whose Gloucestershire yard is owned by Hester, needed one medal in Paris to become Britain’s most successful female Olympian but a backlash over her shock ban leaves her career in tatters.
You can read the full story here
See-saw at Stade de France
A converted try from Argentina’s Matias Osadczuk cuts the lead to one point at 14-15 but Australia are back ahead two minutes later when the captain Nick Malouf goes over in the right corner and Roache converts.
Australia win by eight points.
Result: Australia 22 Argentina 14.
Australia have scored twice against Argentina
Henry Hutchinson goes over after Luciano Gonzalez was sent to the sin bin for two minutes, harshly I feel. Dietrich Roache cannot convert but 30 seconds later Ben Dowling catches Argentina napping with some fine dribbling skills up the right touchhline. They lead 10-7, both tries scored while Argentina are a man down.
Argentina are booed as they run on to play Australia
The backlash from Enzo Fernandez’s racist and anti-French song continues as Stade de France boos the entrance of the Argentina rugby sevens side. The players, in the spirit of Emiliano Martínez, laugh it off. And within 90 seconds German Schulz scores to give Argentina a lead which, when converted, stretches to 7-0.
All hail handball
Brazil are beating Spain 11-7 in their women’s handball match at the South Paris Arena. It really is a great spectator sport and, if you get a spare 20 mins over then next couple of weeks you should try to watch some. It’s a wonderful mix of agility, pace and skill with plenty of physicality and lots of goals.
Dujardin ‘universally condemned’ – including by mentor Hester
The Charlotte Dujardin story continues to develop, as the British dressage rider – banned from the Olympics after a video showing her whipping a horse 24 times – has been ‘universally condemned’ by leading dressage figures, including her GB team-mate, mentor and friend Carl Hester.
Read Tom Morgan’s report here.
Village life
The Telegraph’s chief sports reporter Jeremy Wilson has been granted a behind-the-scenes look at Team GB’s digs at the Paris Olympics athletes’ village. He reveals how Sir Chris Hoy, David Beckham and Britain’s barista champion have been helping Britain’s Olympians get settled and inspired... read his full report here.
Argentine anger: ‘This isn’t a neighbourhood tournament’
More reaction from Argentina after their men’s football team’s convoluted defeat by Morocco in Saint-Etienne yesterday, when their late equaliser was ruled out by VAR nearly two hours after the match was suspended amid missiles being thrown onto the playing surface and pitch-invading fans.
Head coach Javier Mascherano, who revealed earlier (see 10.22am post) that his team also suffered a robbery, has now said: “What happened on the field was a scandal. This isn’t a neighbourhood tournament, these are the Olympic Games.”
Meanwhile, the Argentina Football Association president Claudio Tapia said: “Having to wait almost two hours in the dressing room, after Morocco fans entering the pitch, the violence that the Argentina delegation suffered, our players having to warm up again and continue to play a match that should have been suspended by the main referee, is really something that makes no sense and that goes against the competition rules.”
Tom Daley’s Team GB diving partners funding Olympic dream through OnlyFans
Jeremy Wilson has the skinny on the unusual funding phenomenon… read it here
Meet Sky Brown
On the eve of the Games, Jeremy Wilson spoke to the 16-year-old skateboarder fancied to become Britain’s youngest-ever Olympic champion in Paris and is also targeting surfing in 2028:
A swarming team of helpers follow her every step, but over the course of two hours one spring morning on the River Thames it is noticeable that the most serene person of all is the teenage object of attention.
Sky Brown has just arrived in London on an overnight flight from her Los Angeles home. She will begin the day by skateboarding on a floating ramp in front of Tower Bridge and end it on The One Show at the BBC.
In between, she fulfils myriad sponsor requests before touching back down in California for the normality of a 5am surf the next day, home cooking by father Stu, homeschooling led by mother Mieko, and hanging out with what she calls her “crew” at the local skateboard park.
Organising committee investigates Saint-Etienne pitch invasion
Paris Olympics organisers are looking into what led to a pitch invasion during the opening match of the Olympic soccer tournament between Argentina and Morocco, they said on Thursday.
“The football match between Argentina and Morocco at the Saint-Etienne Stadium was suspended due to a pitch invasion by a small number of spectators,” Games organisers said.
“The match then restarted and was able to conclude safely. Paris 2024 is working with the relevant stakeholders to understand the causes and identify appropriate actions.”
Once order was restored and the teams had left the field following the invasion in which security staff chased several fans around the pitch, it became clear the match had not been completed but suspended.
The teams re-emerged to finish the match in an empty stadium, playing for three minutes and 15 seconds after VAR completed its review and disallowed the goal, in a turbulent start to the competition.
“There was a little intrusion that shouldn’t have happened, but it was good-natured. A debrief has been held between the organising committee and Fifa and everything will be back to normal,” French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea Castera said.
“There’s a match next week in Saint-Etienne and everything will be fine, I promise.”
Tennis doubles draw
Andy Murray and Dan Evans will play Japan’s Taro Daniel and Kei Nishikori in the first round of the men’s doubles at Roland Garros as the great Scot faces the final curtain. Team GB’s No5 seeds Neal Skupski and Joe Salisbury have been drawn against the Czech pair Tomas Machac and Adam Pavlasek.
In the women’s draw Katie Boulter and Heather Watson take on Germany’s Laura Siegemund and Angelique Kerber, who, like Murray, has said she will retire at the conclusion of the Olympic tournament. Kerber won a silver medal in Rio, the same year she won the Australian and US Opens. In 2018 she won Wimbledon but at the age of 36 has decided the day has come.
“I took the toughest decision of my life today,” Kerber said. “It’s really not so easy to make such a big decision. If I could I would play forever but there should be a time. Paris 2024 will mark the finish line of the most incredible journey I could have ever dreamed of growing up with a racket in my hand.”
The tennis tournament starts on Saturday at Roland Garros and the order of play will be published on Friday evening.
Mam v Hughes
Gareth Davies, the Telegraph’s have-a-go hero, was invited to take on Team GB’s sprinting sensation Zharnel Hughes. But he was injured. Undeterred, he sent his mam instead. But no ordinary mam, she was once the fastest teen in Wales
You can read all about it here.
Singles tennis draw
Top-seeded Novak Djokovic could meet Rafael Nadal in the second round of the Paris Olympic men’s singles.
Djokovic was drawn Thursday against Australia’s Matthew Ebden and Nadal faces Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics, with the winners of those matches meeting in Round 2.
The 38-year-old Nadal won a record 14 of his 22 major trophies at the French Open. He won gold in singles at Beijing in 2008, and in doubles with Marc López at Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
Team GB’s Dan Evans plays Tunisia’s Moez Echargui while Jack Draper is pitted against Japan’s Kei Nishikori, Cam Norrie is up against Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor and the French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz takes on Lebanon’s Hady Habib.
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek of Poland faces Irina-Camella Begu of Romania in the first round of the women’s draw with second-seeded Coco Gauff of USA taking on Australia’s Ajla Tomljanović and Team GB’s Katie Boulter will play Slovakia’s Anna Karolína Schmiedlova.
World record tumbles in the archery
In the women’s ranking round to determine the seedings for the matchplay competition, the 21-year old Lim Si-hyeon of South Korea, an Asian Games triple gold medallist and world U21 record-holder has set a new world record.
A twist in the tale
On Monday it was announced that Slovenia’s three-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar had withdrawn from the road race at the Paris Olympics after becoming the first rider to win the Tour and the Giro in the same season in nearly three decades. The Slovenian Olympic Team announced Pogacar had pulled out because of fatigue and would be replaced by Domen Novak.
However on Tuesday he admitted that the exclusion of his girlfriend, Urska Zigart, from Slovenia’s women’s team was a highly contributing factor. “It’s not the main reason,” he said, “but for sure it didn’t help. I think she deserves her spot. She’s the double national champion in road race and time trial.”
On the team’s announcement earlier this month Pogacar professed his outrage and it comes as little surprise that he has pulled out. “I am disgusted by the fact that Urska Zigart, a two-time national champion and the best Slovenian cyclist on the World Tour, has not been selected for the Olympic Games,” he posted. Instead of heading back to Paris from the Netherlands, he went home instead, to where he and Zigart received a rapturous reception.
Canada football team member given eight-month suspended jail sentence over Olympic spy scandal
A member of coaching staff on the Canadian women’s football team has been handed an eight-month suspended prison sentence after using a drone to spy on a New Zealand training session.
Joseph Lombardi was sentenced just two days after it emerged he had used a drone to record an opposing team on two occasions.
Mascherano claims Argentina were robbed, literally
After their convoluted defeat by Morocco at Saint-Etienne yesterday, Javier Mascherano, the Argentina head coach, said training had been disrupted on Tuesday by a robbery.
“Yesterday they broke into the building,” he said. “They stole things from [Thiago] Almada. They ask us for credentials for everything, but then these things happen. They stole Almada’s watches and rings.
“Today they invaded the field seven times and then threw fireworks at us. They told us it ended 2-2. Even Morocco didn’t want to play.”
“I can’t explain what happened. We spent about an hour and a half in the dressing room where they never told us what was going to happen. The Moroccan captains didn’t want to play, we didn’t want to continue, and fans threw things at us. It’s the biggest circus I’ve ever seen in my life, I don’t know why they spent an hour and 20 minutes reviewing a play.
“If there is offside in Medina’s goal let the game go on with the momentum we have, I don’t think the game should be played for three minutes after an hour and a half.”
However, Mascherano said he did not want to indulge in excessive complaining and had encouraged his team to focus on their upcoming Group B fixtures against Iraq and Ukraine.
“It’s no use complaining, we don’t like this kind of thing to happen but we have to turn the page, look for positive things and we will look for the two victories we need to qualify.”
Andy Murray withdraws from the singles
I think we all expected this to happen but it has now been officially confirmed that the 2012 and 2016 men’s singles gold medal winner Andy Murray has withdrawn from the singles.
The Scot has still not fully recovered from the back surgery to remove a spinal cyst he underwent last month and believes the men’s doubles, where he is playing with Dan Evans, offers his best chance of another medal.
Murray said: “I’ve take the decision to withdraw from the singles to concentrate on the doubles with Dan.
“Our practice has been great and we’re playing well together. Really looking forward to getting started and representing GB one more time.”
Murray’s withdrawal means the final singles match of his professional career was his brief second-round appearance at Queen’s against Jordan Thompson.
Preview: Day -1
Good morning and welcome to live coverage of day -1 of the Games of the XXXIIIrd Olympiad from Paris. It has already been a hectic week what with the unpleasantness with the horse, another instalment of Spygate, the disorder following Argentina’s controversial and subsequently overruled ‘equaliser’ against Morocco in Saint-Etienne and the ensuing chaos, the understandable French rancour towards the Argentina rugby and football sides because of the racist celebratory song they bellowed out following the Copa América victory a fortnight ago, congestion at Stade de France and Parc des Princes. We will be bringing you all the latest from yesterday’s explosive start and covering today’s events in the build-up to tomorrow’s opening ceremony on the Seine.
Today’s action has already begun in the women’s handball preliminaries and in the first match Denmark, who qualified as European champions, have beaten Slovenia 27-19. Next up is Netherlands, quarter-finalists in Tokyo, take on the African champions Angola. It’s a re-match of a group game from three years ago which the Dutch won 37-28 and is followed by Spain vs Brazil, both of whom were knocked out at the group stage at the last Games.
The archery also starts today with the ranking round for both women and men which determines the seeding for the competition proper then it’s back to team sports with the culmination of the group games in the rugby sevens starting at 1pm at Stade de France followed by the four quarter-finals from 8pm, while in the women’s football defending champions Canada, who have been spying on New Zealand, take on the Kiwis in Saint-Etienne at 4pm, world champions Spain play Japan in Nantes and among the later games in Nice USA, now under the management of Emma Hayes, play Zambia, who have the world’s most expensive women’s player, the wonderful Racheal Kundananji in their ranks, and the hosts France meet Colombia in Lyon.