Olympic update in the evening: Games have started – tomorrow it’s all about German gold in two disciplines
The Olympic Games were officially opened on Friday evening after the ceremony. On Saturday, German athletes will be aiming for a medal in two competitions. The world champions in basketball and the German men’s handball team will also make their debut. The overview in the Olympic update.
Olympic Games Update: What Happened Friday
The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics is still in full swing. Boats with the Olympic teams are sailing down the Seine in alphabetical order. That was an exception Greek Team that traditionally led the parade. Flag bearers Dennis Schröder (basketball) and Anna-Maria Wagner (judo) celebrated for Germany together with about 150 other athletes. The conclusion is the current and future hosts of the Summer Games Francethe US and Australia. More than 320,000 people gathered on the banks of the Seine and on the bridges, and more than a billion people watched the opening ceremony on screens around the world.
During the opening ceremony, numerous French landmarks and clichés about the country were discussed in a sometimes humorous way. In a first show performance, American singer Lady Gaga appeared in a black corsage, accompanied by dancers with pink pompoms, fitting the title “Mon truc en plumes”. However, the performance was pre-recorded.
Malian-French singer Aya Nakamura also performed. Speculation about her appearance had led to criticism and racist remarks from right-wing populist politicians. Right-wing populist party leader Marine Le Pen spoke of a “disgrace”.
Tomorrow it’s all about gold for Germany
Saturday afternoon could be the first German medal. The duo Anna Janßen (22) and Maximilian Ulbrich (23) appear as Mixed team in air rifle If they successfully pass the qualification at 9:00, they can go for bronze at 10:30 or gold at 11:08.
In the evening, swimmer Lukas Märtens was able to swim to gold. The 22-year-old steps into the race 400 meter freestyle at. The man from Magdeburg is the biggest gold candidate among the German swimmers at these Olympic Games. Since 1988 in Seoul, no German man has become Olympic champion in swimming pools. The chance that Märtens will make it now is big. No one was faster than him on his parade route this year. At the German championships at the end of April, Märtens was on course for a world record for a long time and eventually clocked 3:40.33 minutes.
This is yet to come: basketball players and handball players start
Then there are the Germans Women’s 400m Freestyle (20:52) required. Isabel Gose and Leonie Märtens are there, but a medal is not within reach. Ariarne Titmus (Australia) and Katie Ledecky (USA) will probably compete for gold. About an hour later it was the turn of the German men and their relay team. About 4 x 100m freestyle Rafael Miroslaw, Luca Nik Armbruster, Josha Salchow and Peter Varjasi are at the start. The favorite for gold here is the USA.
The World champion basketball Coach Gordon Herbert wants to cause a sensation at the Olympic Games after the title in 2023. A third medal in three years should follow the European Championship bronze and the gold World Cup coup. The DBB team around German flag bearer Dennis Schröder starts on Saturday at 1.30pm in Lille against Japan to the preliminary round. Progress in the group with Japan, Brazil and France is considered mandatory. From the quarter-finals onwards, anything is possible thanks to a complicated calculation and lottery system – including a quick reunion with the top favorites USA.
Also the german handball men will make their debut appearance at this year’s matches on Saturday. After the women’s disappointing defeat to South Korea (22:23), the men have a very tough opponent ahead of them: the opening match is at 19:00 against the third-placed team at the European Championship Sweden. To make their medal dream come true, the German team around captain Johannes Golla is hoping for a successful start in the strong preliminary group A. Against Sweden, his team “needed a really good day in many ways,” according to national coach Alfred. Gislason, who, like the entire team, is looking forward to the starting shot: “You can feel the joy that this wait is finally over.”
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