Paris Olympics Day 11: American Athletes Shine with 5 Medals in Track and Field

The United States had a spectacular night in track and field on Day 11 of the Paris Olympics, securing two gold medals and five overall.

Gabby Thomas clinched a gold in the 200 meters, finishing in 21.83 seconds. Thomas, a Harvard graduate with a Master’s in public health, led the race from the curve and secured the victory without contest in the final stretch. This gold adds to her bronze from Tokyo three years ago. Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia, the 100-meter champion, took silver, marking her country's second-ever Olympic medal. American Brittany Brown won bronze.

In a dramatic 1,500 meters final, Cole Hocker stunned favorites Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Josh Kerr to win gold with an Olympic record of 3 minutes 27.65 seconds, surpassing his personal best by over 3 seconds. Hocker moved from fifth to first in the last 300 meters, defeating Kerr by .14 seconds. Yared Nuguse of the USA finished third, with Ingebrigtsen in fourth.

Annette Nneka Echikunwoke earned a silver medal in the women's hammer throw, adding to the USA's medal haul.

Highlights from Other Events on Day 11:

Khelif Advances to Boxing Gold Medal Match: Algerian boxer Imane Khelif moved to the gold-medal bout in the women’s welterweight division after defeating Thailand’s Janjaem Suwannapheng 5:0. Khelif, who has faced scrutiny over misconceptions about her gender, has already secured Algeria’s first women’s boxing medal and aims to win the nation’s second boxing gold medal since 1996.

US Women’s Soccer Team to Play for Gold: The US women’s soccer team will compete for their fifth Olympic gold after a 1-0 victory over Germany, with Sophia Smith scoring the decisive goal in extra time. The team, undefeated under new coach Emma Hayes, will face Brazil in the final.

US Women’s Volleyball Team Advances: The reigning Olympic champion US women’s volleyball team beat Poland in straight sets to advance to the semifinals. The team made strategic lineup changes after an initial loss to China and will next play Brazil.

Teen Wins Skateboarding Gold: Australian 14-year-old Arisa Trew won gold in women’s park skateboarding with a score of 93.18, becoming the youngest Australian Olympic medalist. Trew’s final score narrowly beat Japan’s Cocona Hiraki.

Wrestler Mijain Lopez Retires with Fifth Gold: Cuban wrestler Mijain Lopez won his fifth consecutive gold medal in the 130-kilogram Greco-Roman category, defeating Chile’s Yasmani Acosta Fernandez 6-0. Lopez retired after the match, symbolically placing his shoes on the mat.

Perfect 10 in Diving: China’s Quan Hongchan scored a perfect 10 in the diving competition, securing her second gold medal at these Games. The 17-year-old executed a flawless forward 3 1/2 somersaults, echoing her performance in Tokyo.

Brazil Upset in Beach Volleyball: Swedish duo David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig defeated Brazil’s top-ranked Evandro and Arthur, advancing to the beach volleyball semifinals. Brazil, a traditional powerhouse in the sport, will miss out on a men’s medal for the second consecutive Olympics.

Seine River Water Concerns: Concerns over water quality in the Seine River led to the cancellation of a marathon swim test. Organizers will reassess conditions for another test event scheduled for Wednesday, with the women’s marathon swim set for Thursday and the men’s on Friday.