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There were plenty of headlines coming out of Rio on Thursday, but a lot of them had nothing to do with competition. So let’s take a break from #LochteMess and pay some more attention to the world-class athletes who provided plenty of real highlights throughout the day.
Here are just five of the many memorable moments.
Eaton matches*historic Olympic mark in decathlon
Ashton Eaton made it clear over two days of competition that he is still the “world’s greatest athlete” – and he did so in dominant fashion.
With 8,893 points, Eaton won the exhausting 10-event competition, becoming the first U.S. athlete to become a repeat gold medalist in the event since 1952, when Bob Mathias won twice in a row.
[Featured: Why Michael Phelps is retiring for good this time]
Eaton took the lead on Wednesday – Day 2 – in the long jump, with a mark of over 26 feet. He wouldn’t trail again, concluding the competition with an impressive time of 46.07 seconds in the 400 meters.
His 2016 Olympic total ended up being short of the record 9,045 points the American tallied at last year’s world championships, but it was a standout performance nonetheless. The U.S. has now won 14 gold medals in the event, significantly outpacing every other country.
Ashton Eaton competes in the Men’s Decathlon 110m Hurdles at the Olympic Stadium on Thursday in Rio de Janeiro. (Getty) American wrestler upsets three-time gold medalist
Helen Maroulis fell to the mat in tears. She covered her mouth out of pure shock. Then she raced over to her friends in the stands, eventually finding her way back to the mat with an American flag flying above her head.
The 24-year-old’s celebration was a long time coming, marking the first time that a U.S. woman has ever won an Olympic wrestling gold. Maroulis’ win was also a historic upset, as she took down three-time gold medalist Saori Yoshida of Japan.
Yoshida, the most decorated wrestler in history with 13 gold medals at World Championships, was en route to her fourth Olympic gold since the 2004 Athens Games when Maroulis got in her way. No female wrestler from the U.S. had even won a silver since the Olympics were in Greece.
Helen Maroulis was in tears after winning the first-ever Olympic wrestling gold medal by an American woman. (Getty) Chinese diver wins gold at just 15 years old
What were you doing when you were 15? Probably not winning a gold medal.
At 15 years, 180 days old, Chinese diver Ren Qian did just that Thursday afternoon, winning the 10-meter platform diving title. With a total of 439.25 points in five dives, she finished 19.85 points ahead of her 17-year-old teammate Si Yaje. Canada’s Meaghan Benfeito came in third.
“I did pretty well, but not really so perfect, according to my expectations — you can consider me a perfectionist,” Ren told reporters after her dives. “I’m young, but I got the medal. I think from now on I’ll train harder, I’ll work harder so I can focus on my future.”
Ren Qian of China competes to win the gold in the women’s 10m platform final at the Aquatics Center in Rio on August 18, 2016. (Reuters) Gold for Bolt in extremely close race
Just kidding. Thursday’s 200-meter wasn’t close whatsoever. Usain Bolt, again, dominated and snagged his eighth Olympic gold medal in the process.
While the Jamaican superstar came shy of eclipsing his record 19.19-second mark, his 19.78-second pace gave him a comfortable win over the field.
[Related:*Ellen DeGeneres defends her Usain Bolt tweet some claimed was racist]
“I was not pleased with my time,” Bolt said. “Even if you run a world record you still want to run faster, but my legs decided they aren’t having it and I was so tired I lost my form on the last part of the race. But the key thing is that you guys know I won and the only thing that matters is the gold medal.”
Not pleased, maybe, but he showed he’s still the most dominant force in the sport. Friday night, he will compete in the 4×100-meter relay in search of an incredible triple-triple – three gold medals in the same three events over the course of three Olympics.
Usain Bolt celebrates after crossing the finish line to win the gold medal in the men’s 200-meter final. (AP) Brazilian beach volleyball stars electrify the home crowd
The top-ranked beach volleyball duo of Alison Cerutti and Bruno Schmidt ended Thursday night’s festivities in spectacular fashion, claiming the 2016 men’s beach volleyball gold in front of thousands of cheering fans at Copacabana beach.
The favorites to stand atop the podium, Alison and Bruno faced immense pressure to deliver in light of a number of letdowns by the host country over the past week. They came through in the end, scoring Brazil’s first Olympic gold in the sport since 2004.
Italy’s Daniele Lupo and Paolo Nicolai kept the sets close, but the home team seemed to be in control during the sweep (21-19, 21-17). It was Brazil’s 13th Olympic beach volleyball medal in history.
There were plenty of headlines coming out of Rio on Thursday, but a lot of them had nothing to do with competition. So let’s take a break from #LochteMess and pay some more attention to the world-class athletes who provided plenty of real highlights throughout the day.
Here are just five of the many memorable moments.
Eaton matches*historic Olympic mark in decathlon
Ashton Eaton made it clear over two days of competition that he is still the “world’s greatest athlete” – and he did so in dominant fashion.
With 8,893 points, Eaton won the exhausting 10-event competition, becoming the first U.S. athlete to become a repeat gold medalist in the event since 1952, when Bob Mathias won twice in a row.
[Featured: Why Michael Phelps is retiring for good this time]
Eaton took the lead on Wednesday – Day 2 – in the long jump, with a mark of over 26 feet. He wouldn’t trail again, concluding the competition with an impressive time of 46.07 seconds in the 400 meters.
His 2016 Olympic total ended up being short of the record 9,045 points the American tallied at last year’s world championships, but it was a standout performance nonetheless. The U.S. has now won 14 gold medals in the event, significantly outpacing every other country.
Helen Maroulis fell to the mat in tears. She covered her mouth out of pure shock. Then she raced over to her friends in the stands, eventually finding her way back to the mat with an American flag flying above her head.
The 24-year-old’s celebration was a long time coming, marking the first time that a U.S. woman has ever won an Olympic wrestling gold. Maroulis’ win was also a historic upset, as she took down three-time gold medalist Saori Yoshida of Japan.
Yoshida, the most decorated wrestler in history with 13 gold medals at World Championships, was en route to her fourth Olympic gold since the 2004 Athens Games when Maroulis got in her way. No female wrestler from the U.S. had even won a silver since the Olympics were in Greece.
What were you doing when you were 15? Probably not winning a gold medal.
At 15 years, 180 days old, Chinese diver Ren Qian did just that Thursday afternoon, winning the 10-meter platform diving title. With a total of 439.25 points in five dives, she finished 19.85 points ahead of her 17-year-old teammate Si Yaje. Canada’s Meaghan Benfeito came in third.
“I did pretty well, but not really so perfect, according to my expectations — you can consider me a perfectionist,” Ren told reporters after her dives. “I’m young, but I got the medal. I think from now on I’ll train harder, I’ll work harder so I can focus on my future.”
Just kidding. Thursday’s 200-meter wasn’t close whatsoever. Usain Bolt, again, dominated and snagged his eighth Olympic gold medal in the process.
While the Jamaican superstar came shy of eclipsing his record 19.19-second mark, his 19.78-second pace gave him a comfortable win over the field.
[Related:*Ellen DeGeneres defends her Usain Bolt tweet some claimed was racist]
“I was not pleased with my time,” Bolt said. “Even if you run a world record you still want to run faster, but my legs decided they aren’t having it and I was so tired I lost my form on the last part of the race. But the key thing is that you guys know I won and the only thing that matters is the gold medal.”
Not pleased, maybe, but he showed he’s still the most dominant force in the sport. Friday night, he will compete in the 4×100-meter relay in search of an incredible triple-triple – three gold medals in the same three events over the course of three Olympics.
The top-ranked beach volleyball duo of Alison Cerutti and Bruno Schmidt ended Thursday night’s festivities in spectacular fashion, claiming the 2016 men’s beach volleyball gold in front of thousands of cheering fans at Copacabana beach.
The favorites to stand atop the podium, Alison and Bruno faced immense pressure to deliver in light of a number of letdowns by the host country over the past week. They came through in the end, scoring Brazil’s first Olympic gold in the sport since 2004.
Italy’s Daniele Lupo and Paolo Nicolai kept the sets close, but the home team seemed to be in control during the sweep (21-19, 21-17). It was Brazil’s 13th Olympic beach volleyball medal in history.