Tag: Paris Olympics 2024

Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec made headlines at the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024 by securing a silver medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event.

What made his victory even more remarkable was that he achieved this feat without the proper shooting gear.

The 51-year-old Dikec teamed with Sevval Ilayda Tarhan to claim his first Olympic medal in his fifth appearance. He made his debut back in 2008 at the Beijing Olympics.

Dikec and Tarhan competed in the nail-biting final against Serbia’s Zorana Arunovic and Damir Mikec, who came from behind to win the gold. Meanwhile, Indian shooters Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh secured the bronze medal.

Meanwhile, Yusuf Dikec finally opened up on his major success, which he achieved with a ground-breaking yet relaxed demeanour, and thanked Almighty Allah for the outcome before dedicating his medal to the Turkish state and nation.

“I am very happy that we won the medal. Allah gave me the chance to do this,” said Dikec.

“I present my medal to the great Turkish nation and state,” he added.

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He further commented on his reason for success, which was aiming with his both eyes open and no special equipment.

Notably, most shooters rely on specialized eyewear for improved accuracy and ear protectors to block out noise during competitions but Yusuf Dikec ditched each of the equipment and yet managed to win a medal at the Paris Olympics.

“I did not need special equipment. I am a natural, a natural shooter,” Dikec told Turkish media.

“Success doesn’t come with your hands in your pockets,” he was quoted as saying.

Throughout his illustrious career spanning over two decades, Yusuf Dikec has achieved remarkable success, securing numerous gold medals in prestigious events such as the ISSF World Championships, ISSF World Cup, European Championships, and European Games.

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Carlos Alcaraz became the youngest man to reach the Olympic Games men’s tennis final on Friday when he thrashed Felix Auger-Aliassime in a one-sided Paris Olympics clash. 

Alcaraz, 21, swept to a 6-1, 6-1 victory over the Canadian in just 75 minutes and will meet Novak Djokovic in Sunday’s final if the top-seeded Serb overcomes a knee injury and Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti in the second semi-final.

“It has been an objective since the start of the year to try and win the gold medal and now we have one match left to try and get it done,” said Alcaraz.

“I want to have fun in the final and do the business.”

Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz, playing on the same Roland Garros court where he won the French Open in June, broke the 19th-ranked Auger-Aliassime three times in the first set, racing away with six consecutive games.

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Alcaraz broke again in the fourth and sixth games of the second set on his way to claiming a fourth successive win over the Canadian having lost the first three of the pair’s series.

“It was a very complete performance and I played at a very high level from start to finish,” said Alcaraz.

“I had very good feelings and sensations, I’m so happy.”

He added: “The final is very important for me and the Spanish people but I try not to think about how important it is and will focus on the match.”

Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz is the third Spanish man to reach the Olympic men’s final after Jordi Arrese at Barcelona in 1992, Sergi Bruguera in Atlanta four years later and Rafael Nadal who won gold at Beijing in 2008.

He now has the chance to become the youngest men’s champion since tennis returned to the Olympics at Seoul in 1988.

READ: Pakistan shooter Kishmala Talat knocked out of Paris Olympics

PARIS: Pakistan shooter Kishmala Talat bowed out of the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024 as she failed to advance into the next round of the Women’s 25m pistol event here at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre.

Kishamala finished 22nd with a final score of 579-18x, miles away from sealing a berth in the final round.

Hungary’s Veronika Major led the standings with a 592-27x which equalled the Olympic Record while India’s shooting sensation Manu Bhaker continued to prove her mettle as she secured the second position.

Bhaker registered 590-24x. The 22-year-old is enjoying a dream run in the Paris Olympics.

She claimed the first medal for India in the Games by capturing a bronze in the Women’s 10m Air Pistol before imitating the same feat with compatriot Sarabjot Singh in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team, a few days later.

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Meanwhile Kishmala Talat, prior to that, featured in two 10m air pistol events in mixed and women’s categories. The 22-year-old failed to advance in each of the competitions.

The Pakistan duo of Kishmala and Gulfam Joseph could only manage 571 points out of 600 and finished 14th out of 17 in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Doubles.

As a result, both Pakistan shooters Joseph and Kishmala Talat were knocked out of all 10m air pistol competitions.

Kishmala Talat also suffered the same fate in the individual category as failed to qualify for the 10m women’s air pistol final after finishing 31st out of the 44 shooters. She scored a total of 567 points out of across six series.

It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan’s only sprinter competing in the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024, Faiqa Riaz, was knocked out of the Games after failing to progress into the next round of the Athletics event.

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Pakistan’s only sprinter competing in the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024, Faiqa Riaz, failed to progress in the Athletics event.

Faiqa competed in Heat 2 of the preliminary round of women’s 100-meter race and could finish sixth.

The qualification scenario was such that the top three athletes from each of the Heats were supposed to advance to the first round while five more athletes, boasting next best timings were supposed to join them.

Meanwhile, Faiqa Riaz failed to achieve any of the aforementioned feat to ensure his qualification as she took 12.49 seconds in the 100-meter race.

Prior to that, Pakistan shooters Kishmala Talat and Gulfam Joseph alongside swimmers Jehanara Nabi and Ahmed Durrani failed to progress further in the ongoing Paris Olympics.

The duo of Joseph and Kishmala competed in 10m air pistol mixed doubles but failed to make it into the next round.

The Pakistan shooters could only manage 571 points out of 600 and finished 14th out of 17.

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As a result, both Pakistan shooters Gulfam Joseph and Kishmala Talat have been knocked out of all 10m air pistol competitions.

However, Kishmala will represent Pakistan in the 25m Pistol Women’s qualification on August 2 while Ghulam Mustafa Bashir will partake 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men’s Qualification on August 4.

Remember, Pakistan had an unwanted start to their Paris Olympics 2024 campaign as their shooters Gulfam Joseph and Kishmala Talat failed to qualify for the 10m air pistol finals in respective categories.

The same was the case for the country in swimming as Durrani and Jehanara failed to qualify for the next round in their respective events.

Ahmed Durrani participated in the men’s 200-meter freestyle swimming event and unfortunately finished last in his heat.

Later, he ended up in 25th place out of 25 swimmers. His time was 11 seconds slower than the swimmer who secured the final spot for the semifinals.

In the women’s 200-meter freestyle swimming competition, Jehanara Nabi finished in 26th place out of 30 swimmers. Despite putting up a strong effort, she was unable to break into the top 16.

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Andy Murray said he was retiring “on my terms” as his trophy-filled career came to an emotional end at the Paris Olympics 2024 on Thursday, closing another chapter on tennis’s golden generation.

The former world number one and three-time Grand Slam title winner slipped into retirement aged 37 when he and Dan Evans lost in the men’s doubles quarter-finals at Roland Garros.

American pair Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul delivered the knockout blow with a 6-2, 6-4 victory on a packed Court Suzanne Lenglen.

Britain’s Murray had already announced that the Paris Olympics 2024 would be his last event. “I’m proud of my career, my achievements and what I put into the sport,” said Murray.

“Obviously it was emotional because it’s the last time I will play a competitive match. But I am genuinely happy just now. I’m happy with how it finished.”

He added: “I’m glad I got to go out here at the Olympics and finish on my terms because at times in the last few years that wasn’t a certainty.”

Just a few hours after Murray had made his exit, he cheekily wrote on X: “Never even liked tennis anyway”.

Career-long rival Novak Djokovic described Murray as “an incredible competitor”.

“One of the greatest warriors tennis has seen. His fighting spirit is definitely something that I’m sure is going to inspire many generations to come,” said Djokovic.

One of the ‘Big Four’ in the sport, Murray joins 20-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer in retirement after the Swiss great quit in 2022.

Rafael Nadal, the winner of 22 majors but battling more injuries at the age of 38, exited the Paris Olympics on Wednesday and suggested that he had played his last match at Roland Garros, where he won 14 of his Slams.

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Nadal also effectively ruled himself out of the US Open, sparking more speculation that the great Spaniard is also finished in the sport.

That would leave just 37-year-old Djokovic — winner of a record 24 Grand Slams — still active amongst the sport’s eminent talents who have carved up 69 majors between them.

Murray famously ended Britain’s 77-year wait for a men’s champion at Wimbledon when he triumphed in 2013, defeating Djokovic in the final.

He added a second title in 2016, taking his career majors total to three after breaking his duck at the 2012 US Open.

Murray won gold at the 2012 Olympics on an emotional day at the All England Club when he defeated Federer just weeks after he had lost the Wimbledon final to the Swiss on the same Centre Court.

Four years later he defeated Juan Martin del Potro to become the first player, man or woman, to win two Olympic singles golds.

Murray also led Britain to the Davis Cup title in 2015, the country’s first in 79 years. He has won 46 titles in all and banked around $65 million in prize money. However, he has been ravaged by injuries in recent years, slumping to 117th in the world.

The Scot has played with a metal hip since 2019 and suffered ankle damage earlier this year before undergoing surgery to remove a spinal cyst, which ruled him out of singles at Wimbledon.

Instead, he played doubles with brother Jamie and was defeated in the first round before an emotional tribute arranged by tournament chiefs.

“It’s hard because I would love to keep playing, but I can’t,” admitted Murray at the All England Club.

“Physically it is too tough now, all of the injuries, they have added up and they haven’t been insignificant.”

READ: England batter in doubt for Test series against Pakistan

Novak Djokovic faces an anxious wait to find out if a knee injury will derail his Olympic gold medal dream after reaching the semi-finals on Thursday as old rival Andy Murray slipped into retirement.

On a dramatic day at Roland Garros, Zheng Qinwen ended Iga Swiatek’s 25-match unbeaten streak in Paris to become the first Chinese player to reach an Olympic singles final.

Defending men’s champion Alexander Zverev was knocked out and took a bitter swipe at the crammed Games schedule.

Djokovic said he was “hoping for the best” after aggravating his injured right knee, which had required surgery in June, during his 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) win over Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarter-finals.

The 37-year-old needed on-court treatment and a painkiller after slipping on the baseline of Court Philippe Chatrier.

He recovered from 0-4 and then 2-5 down in the second set, saving three set points in the ninth game, before racing away with the tie-break.

The Serb faces Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti on Friday in the last four.

“I’m concerned about the state of the knee. I have to go and examine it with medical staff and then let’s see,” said Djokovic.

“I’m playing at 7:00 pm tomorrow, which gives me slightly more time. But I’m hoping I can be ready and be optimistic. I have to be.”

The 24-time Grand Slam title winner is still looking for a first Olympic gold medal, having so far managed just a bronze in Beijing in 2008.

He is through to his fourth Olympic semi-final.

Musetti stunned Zverev 7-5, 7-5 as the world number 16 became the first Italian to reach the semi-finals since tennis returned to the Seoul Olympics in 1988.

Zverev said the illness was partly responsible for his defeat but also blasted the schedule as “a disgrace” after playing his quarter-final less than a day after his last-16 tie.

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Alcaraz, back at Roland Garros where he won a maiden French Open in June, became the youngest Olympic semi-finalist since Novak Djokovic in 2008.

The second seed saw off 13th-ranked Tommy Paul of the United States 6-3, 7-6 (9/7) after recovering from a breakdown in the second set and saving a set point in the tie-break.

“It’s all about the fight,” said Alcaraz, 21, who was playing the day after he and Rafael Nadal suffered a heartbreaking doubles loss in what was probably the veteran’s final appearance at Roland Garros.

Alcaraz will next face Felix Auger-Aliassime, who beat sixth-seeded Casper Ruud, a two-time French Open runner-up, 6-4, 6-7 (8/10), 6-3.

Murray’s career came to an end when he and Dan Evans lost to American pair Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul 6-2, 6-4 in the men’s doubles quarter-finals.

Former world number one and three-time Grand Slam title winner Murray, 37, had already announced that the Olympics would be his last event.

“I’m proud of my career, my achievements and what I put into the sport,” said Murray.

“Obviously it was emotional because it’s the last time I will play a competitive match. But I am genuinely happy just now. I’m happy with how it finished.”

Seventh-ranked Zheng triumphed 6-2, 7-5 over world number one Swiatek and will face Donna Vekic in Saturday’s gold medal match.

Croatia’s Vekic breezed past Anna Karolina Schmiedlova of Slovakia 6-4, 6-0.

“If you ask me to play another three hours for my country, I would,” said Zheng, who had played back-to-back three-hour matches to make the semi-final.

Swiatek, 23, a four-time French Open champion at Roland Garros, had defeated Zheng in all of their six previous meetings but she was hit off-court by the powerful 21-year-old Australian Open finalist.

Zheng is the first Chinese man or woman to reach an Olympic singles gold medal match, bettering the run of Li Na, who finished fourth in the women’s event at Beijing in 2008.

China’s only Olympics tennis gold came thanks to Li Ting and Sun Tiantian in the women’s doubles at Athens in 2004.

READ: China’s Zheng Qinwen stuns top seed Swiatek in Paris Olympics

Zheng Qinwen stunned women’s world number one Iga Swiatek 6-2, 7-5 in the singles semi-final to make the gold medal match at the Paris Olympics.

It was the 21-year-old’s first win over the four-time French Open champion at the seventh attempt and ended Swiatek’s 25-match winning run on the clay courts of Paris.

“I’m so happy that I could make this history for China tennis because I always wanted to be one of the athletes who got a medal for China and now I’m one of them,” said seventh-ranked Zheng who is guaranteed at least a silver medal by reaching the final.

“But I know the fight is not over. It’s not the end. The tournament is very long. So I’m really happy but at the same time I’m waiting for more.

“Of course, I have made history already but I don’t want to stop here.”

By making the final, Zheng is the first Chinese man or woman to reach an Olympic singles gold medal match, bettering the run of iconic trailblazer Li Na who finished fourth in the women’s event at Beijing in 2008.

China has previously won medals in women’s doubles in Paris Olympics.

In 2004, at Athens, Li Ting and Sun Tiantian captured gold while four years later in Beijing, Yan Zi and Zheng Jie claimed bronze.

Zheng Qinwen said she always believed she could defeat Iga Swiatek despite her poor record against the Pole and having had to play gruelling back-to-back three-hour matches in Paris to make the semi-finals.

“I finally showed I could beat the world number one on her best surface,” added Zheng.

“I always knew I can do it, but you have to show it. I’m so proud of myself and so proud for my country.”

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Zheng will face either Croatia’s Donna Vekic or Anna Karolina Schmiedlova of Slovakia in the gold medal match.

Swiatek, meanwhile, was left to rue 36 unforced errors in a tie where she also dropped serve six times. She will have to content herself now by playing for the Paris Olympics bronze.

“Sorry guys, next time,” she told reporters, refusing to discuss her shock defeat.

Swiatek was hit off the court by the powerful 21-year-old Australian Open finalist who broke the Pole three times in the opening set.

Iga Swiatek appeared restored by a 10-minute break and quickly stretched out to 4-0 lead in the second set before Zheng Qinwen battled back, retrieving both breaks for 4-4.

The Chinese star broke again for a 6-5 lead against the error-plagued Swiatek and claimed victory in the next game.

“Before, when I was not at this stage, I let matches go. I say, okay, let’s fight for the third set. But today, no, I don’t use this mentality. I say, I am just going to fight every single point,” explained Zheng.

She said that she is a different player now to the one who lost to Aryna Sabalenka in January’s Australian Open final where she managed just five games in a straight-sets loss.

“In Australia, my energy was really low. But if you ask me to fight for my country for another three hours today, I could do it.”

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Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec made headlines at the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024 by securing a silver medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event.

What made his victory even more remarkable was that he achieved this feat without the proper shooting gear.

The 51-year-old Dikec teamed with Sevval Ilayda Tarhan to claim his first Olympic media in his fifth appearance. He made his debut back in 2008 at the Beijing Olympics.

Dikec and Tarhan competed in the nail-biting final against Serbia’s Zorana Arunovic and Damir Mikec, who came from behind to win the gold. Meanwhile, Indian shooters Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh secured the bronze medal.

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Yusuf Dikec stood out among the crowd of shooters due to his minimalist gear as he opted for regular prescription glasses and earplugs, a stark contrast to the usual array of specialized shooting gear.

Most shooters rely on specialized eyewear for improved accuracy and ear protectors to block out noise during competitions.

Throughout his illustrious career spanning over two decades, the Turkish shooter has achieved remarkable success, securing numerous gold medals in prestigious events such as the ISSF World Championships, ISSF World Cup, European Championships, and European Games.

Social media users praised Dikec for his relaxed demeanour and confidence on the big stage of the Paris Olympics 2024, competing against well-equipped opponents.

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Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz were dumped out of the Paris Olympics men’s doubles on Wednesday by Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram in possibly Nadal’s last appearance at Roland Garros.

The Spanish dream team lost 6-2, 6-4 to the US fourth seeds, who progressed to the semi-finals in Paris.

Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz, dubbed “Nadalcaraz”, have been one of the main talking points at the Paris Games tennis tournament, wowing the crowds in their first two matches.

But they came unstuck in the last eight against doubles specialists Krajicek and Ram, who both have Grand Slam-winning pedigree.

Nadal was broken in the first game of the match on Court Philippe Chatrier and Alcaraz also lost serve as the US pair took the first set.

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The Spaniards suffered another costly break in the seventh game of the second set, which ultimately proved decisive.

They battled tigerishly in the 10th game but failed to take advantage of three break points and Krajicek and Ram sealed victory on their second match point.

Nadal, a 14-time French Open champion, said after his painful defeat to Novak Djokovic in the singles competition in Paris that he would make a decision on his future after the Olympics.

The 38-year-old, immortalised in a statue at Roland Garros, has been plagued by injuries in recent years and is now 161st in the world.

Alcaraz still has a chance of winning a medal in the men’s singles competition — he is through to the quarter-finals, where he will face US ninth seed Tommy Paul.

READ: Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz close in on Paris Olympics showdown

Bollywood star Urvashi Rautela became “the first Indian actress” to be officially invited to the Paris Olympics 2024.

The actress’ fans expressed joy and excitement for her after she revealed that she had become the first actress from India to get an invitation to the prestigious event, Indian media outlets reported.

“Truly humbled & honoured to be the first Indian actress to be invited by Paris Olympic 2024. A magical dream that belongs to 1.4 billion Indians. Today, we salute all the athletes from around the world competing in Paris and send them our compliments and best wishes for the game,” local media outlet quoted Urvashi Rautela as saying.

The actress also shared a couple of snaps with different athletes at the Paris Olympics 2024.

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Taking to Instagram, Rautela shared a photo with former India head coach Rahul Dravid at the Paris Olympics.

#RahulDravid PARIS OLYMPICS 2024… saluting all the athletes from around the world competing in Paris and sending them best wishes & compliments for the game,” she wrote in the caption of the Instagram post.

 

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In another post, she shared two photos with French football player Karim Benzema.

It is pertinent to mention that Urvashi Rautela is ranked one of Forbes’ Top 10 highest-paid global icons and among the youngest on the list.

 

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The Paris Olympics 2024 officially kicked off on July 26 in which thousands of athletes around the world are participating in various sports.

The opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics drew 28.6 million US viewers, according to preliminary data from Comcast’s NBCUniversal, which the company said was the most-watched start to a summer Games since London in 2012.

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