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Top Stories from Day 14 of the Paris Olympics

The 14th day of the Paris Olympics brought a mix of triumph and frustration for the United States, as well as the debut of breaking, also known as breakdancing, as an Olympic sport. Here are the top five stories from the day:

1. Sha’Carri Richardson wins first gold in women’s 4×100 relay: After missing out on individual gold medals in Paris and Tokyo, Sha’Carri Richardson won her first Olympic gold medal with the USA women’s 4×100 relay team. The team finished with a time of 41.78, beating Great Britain and Germany.
2. USA’s Rai Benjamin wins gold in men’s 400-meter hurdles: Rai Benjamin finally broke through to win gold in the men’s 400-meter hurdles, after earning silver at the 2020 Tokyo Games and 2022 World Championships, and bronze at the 2023 World championships.
3. Team USA women’s basketball advances to gold medal game: The United States women’s basketball team earned a dominant 85-64 win over Australia in the semifinals, advancing to the gold medal game against France.
4. Team USA disqualified from men’s 4×100 relay with botched handoff: The U.S. men’s 4×100 relay team was disqualified due to a botched handoff, with Kenny Bednarek starting too early and slowing down to try and avoid disqualification.
5. Breaking makes its Olympic debut: Breaking, the formal name for Olympic breakdancing, made its debut with 17 B-girls competing in the women’s side. Japan’s B-girl Ami took gold, defeating Lithuanian B-girl Nicka in a head-to-head competition.

Other notable stories:

• Team USA medals: The United States has won a total of 34 medals so far, including 12 gold medals.
• Highlight of the day: France and Belgium provided a thrilling women’s basketball semifinal, with Belgium ultimately losing 81-75.
• One more thing: Australian B-girl Rachael Gunn, known as B-girl Raygun, quickly captured the internet’s attention with her unique moves and standard Australian uniform.

Twitter reaction:

• Carl Lewis, a track legend, called for major changes in the USA track and field system after the botched handoff in the men’s 4×100 relay.