The Paris Olympics come to a close
Zander's Weekend Facts #131: Sunday, August 11, 2024
Inside this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts, the Summer Olympics wrap up later today, and a look at what Zander’s been reading this past week. Plus, a compilation of the top headlines you need to know about from the last seven days.
Also, go listen to the latest episodes of the Zander’s Facts Podcast! Download the podcast wherever you get your podcasts.
Here are Zander’s Weekend Facts for Sunday, August 11, 2024:
USA, China neck-and-neck in the gold medal count on final day of the Olympics
After 18 days of the world coming together to compete for global excellence in 32 sports in Paris (and beyond), the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad will come to a conclusion later today.
The final competitions that will take place include the gold medal matches of women’s volleyball, men’s handball, cycling, men’s water polo, and women’s basketball. Then at 3:00 pm ET, the closing ceremony will officially put a cap on the games.
Those final matches will be closely watched, not just for the occasion of handing out Olympic gold medals, but also by fans of Team USA and China. Before the games began on Sunday morning, the U.S. and China stood neck-and-back atop the gold medal count. China was alone at #1 with 39 gold medals compared to 38 for the U.S.
China is expected to win the women’s weight lighting competition on Sunday to bring their total to 40, while the U.S. have a few chances to overtake. The U.S. women will take on France in the basketball final at 9:30 am ET and will face Italy in the volleyball final at 7:00 am ET. Both games will air on NBC and Peacock. They also have chances to win gold in wrestling and cycling this morning.
The chase for gold supremacy is similar to the last edition of the Summer Olympics when the race between the U.S. and China went down to the final day in Tokyo. The U.S. ended up with 39 gold medals compared to China’s 38.
Despite the final tally of golds, however, the Olympics were still another major success for Team USA.
For one, the U.S. will likely wind up with over 30 more total medals than second-place China (and will almost double third-place Great Britain). The tally will further extend the United States’ dominance in the games, with the 122 (and counting) joining the 2,959 medals the U.S. has previously won in the modern Summer and Winter Olympics as the most of any country. Russia sits in second with 2,011 (including the Soviet Union) and Germany’s 1,821 are third. In the Summer Olympics alone, the U.S. has won 2,629 medals not including 2024, over 1,000 more than second-place Russia’s 1,624.
For another, these Olympic Games introduced the country, and the world, to new stars and reaffirmed the greatness of existing ones.
In swimming, the U.S. was able to tame its rivalry with Australia, for now, by taking home one more gold than their rivals down under. Katie Ledecky continued her greatness by winning the 800m freestyle event for the fourth straight Olympics, the first woman to find an individual event in four straight Olympic Games. Ledecky also won the 1500m freestyle, while Bobby Finke won the men’s edition with a world record time. And outside Team USA, France’s Léon Marchand won all four individual events he competed in, setting him up as the next big name in the sport at 22 years old.
In gymnastics, Simone Biles, one of if not the greatest to ever do it, put her Tokyo struggles well behind her by winning gold in the individual all-around and vault competitions. Biles also headlined the self-proclaimed “redemption tour” team that won the team all-around alongside Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles, Suni Lee, and Hezly Rivera. The men got in on the action too, winning bronze in the team all-around and producing a name that fans of the sport won’t soon forget in Stephen Nedoroscik. The ‘Pommel Horse Guy’ also won bronze in the individual pommel horse competition.
In track and field, the U.S. captured the title of ‘fastest man alive’ as Noah Lyles won the 100m final in a photo finish after coming up short in Tokyo. Cole Hocker won the men’s 1500m final by coming back to stun Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Great Britain’s Josh Kerr. In shotput, Ryan Crouser won gold and Joe Kovacs won silver for the third straight games. And just on Saturday, both the U.S. men and women won the 4 x 400m relays, with the women finishing over four seconds ahead of second place the Netherlands. The U.S.’s 14 golds in track and field were 10 more than second-place Kenya, with the American’s 34 total medals blowing second-place Kenya’s and Great Britain’s 10 each off of the track.
In soccer, the men made their first Olympic Games since 2008 and reached the knockout round for the first time since 2000. But it was the women who shined. On Saturday, the USWNT won their first Olympic gold since 2012 by beating Brazil 1-0 off a Mallory Swanson goal in the 57th minute. After failing in the previous two editions of the games to get a gold, and producing their worst result ever in a World Cup last year, the U.S. immediately went back to their winning ways under new manager Emma Hayes, who took over the team just two months ago.
In basketball, Stephen Curry put on the performance of his life in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s gold medal game against France. Curry hit three consecutive three-pointers in clutch time to put the U.S. on top, 98-87, and give the U.S. its fifth consecutive gold medal in men’s basketball. The women have a chance to join the men on top of the sport later today in another game against France. The U.S. women’s basketball team has won 60 consecutive games in the Olympics and can make it 61 with a win today.
And the U.S. broadcaster, NBC Sports, is also celebrating the games. There was serious concern that interest in the Olympics as a whole was on the decline after major ratings woes in the last three editions of the games, all of which were held in East Asia (2018 - South Korea, 2020 - Japan, 2022 - China). But the 2024 games have shown that Americans can still build up some serious Olympic fever.
The first 13 days of the games averaged 32.2 million viewers on NBC’s platforms, up 76% from the Tokyo games three years ago. The opening Sunday of the games reached over 40 million viewers, nearly 35 million watched coverage two days later when the U.S. women’s gymnastics team won gold, and millions more are watching a whip-around show dubbed “Gold Zone” on Peacock. The games have been a massive success on American television and eviscerated the results of a Gallup poll taken before the games that predicted the “record-low U.S. viewership.”
The good times are likely to roll on as we enter an era of prime Olympic locations for U.S. viewing. In 2026, the Winter Games arrive in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, with the short time difference providing excellent all-day viewing in the States. Then in 2028, the games embark on America as Los Angeles hosts the Summer Olympics for the second time. (Sunday’s closing ceremony will include a portion of the spectacle dedicated to the handover between Paris and Los Angeles.) 2030 in the French Alps will be another good spot for U.S. viewing, with the 2034 Winter Games back in the States in Salt Lake City.
Some will likely argue with you that the “woke” games have been a disaster due to the controversies that sad and chronically online lowlifes have purposefully manufactured. But when you look at the Facts, the 2024 games have been spectacular, especially if you’re a fan of Team USA.
For more information on this week’s top story, here’s an article from NBC Olympics - 2024 Team USA highlights: Top moments from the 2024 Paris Olympics
What Zander’s been reading
The major party tickets now appear to be set in the 2024 United States presidential election after Vice President Kamala Harris selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to be her running mate last week. The Democratic ticket will face the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump, and his running mate, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance. Politico put together a list of 55 things to know about Walz, whose name will appear on ballots across the country this fall.
Check out this week’s featured article in Politico - 55 Things to Know About Tim Walz, Kamala Harris’ Pick for VP - (Apple News link)
Rapid-fire Facts
These are top news headlines from the past week in rapid-fire fashion:
2024 Election: Vice President Kamala Harris announced her vice presidential pick in the largest development of the 2024 U.S. presidential election last week. Harris chose Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who previously served in the Army National Guard, was a member of the House of Representatives, and a social studies teacher. Harris and Walz made several stops in their first week as running mates, including Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona, and Nevada. Former President Donald Trump’s lone campaign rally last week was in Montana. Also last week, Trump announced he would debate Harris on September 10 on ABC News after previously having backed out of the debate. Harris also formally secured the Democratic nomination last week, with the Democratic National Convention set to begin in Chicago on August 20.
Russia/Ukraine War: The Ukrainian army made a surprise incursion into Russia last week, appearing to catch Russian forces off guard. The move comes as Ukraine has struggled to overcome Russian offensives in eastern Ukraine that have resulted in slow and steady advances for Russia. The inflow of Ukrainian troops into Russia’s Kursk region is the largest cross-border raid by Ukraine of the nearly two-and-a-half-year conflict that began by Russian invasion. The Ukrainian government has not acknowledged the action and the exact motives are unclear.
Jan. 6 Sentencing: A rioter who took part in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Friday. David Dempsey, who prosecutors described as “one of the most violent rioters”, climbed over fellow rioters "like human scaffolding" and used "his hands, feet, flag poles, crutches, pepper spray, broken pieces of furniture, and anything else he could get his hands on" as weapons against police officers. Dempsey, a supporter of former President Donald Trump, appeared to flash a gesture associated with white supremacy while being led out of the courtroom after his sentence. Prosecutors have arrested over 1,400 people in connection with the attack, with over 1,000 convictions.
Taylor Swift Concert: Three Taylor Swift concerts that were scheduled to take place this weekend in Vienna, Austria were canceled after police uncovered a plot targeting the events. Police have arrested three individuals they say were planning to attack attendees of one of the concerts and found chemical substances at the home of one of the suspects. The plot appears to have been inspired by the Islamic State group and al-Qaeda, with two of the suspects having pledged “oaths of allegiance” to the Islamic State group. The end of the European leg of Swift’s Eras Tour is still expected to continue, with concerts planned at Wembley Stadium in London beginning on Thursday.
U.K. Riots: Violent riots have engulfed the United Kingdom after misinformation spread online about a recent stabbing attack. Back on July 29, three children were killed and 10 other people were injured in a knife attack in Southport, England, with police arresting a 17-year-old suspect. Misinformation quickly spread online that the attacker was a Muslim asylum seeker who arrived in the U.K. by boat in 2013. Violent protests have broken out in cities across the U.K. after the attack, with far-right and anti-immigration groups believing to have been involved.
Zander’s Facts Sporting Club
Here are the latest headlines from the sports world in the Sporting Club:
NFL Preseason: The National Football League’s preseason got underway in full last week. The Hall of Fame Game, which kicked off the preseason on August 1, was canceled after the game had to be paused due to weather in the third quarter, with the Bears leading the Texans 21-17. The preseason gives an early look at the league’s teams before the regular season begins, along with a first look at top rookies such as Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels. There are three weeks of the preseason, with games concluding on Sunday, August 25 before the regular season kicks off on Thursday, September 5.
English Premier League: The Premier League in England is one of several European club soccer domestic leagues that will begin their season later this week. The season begins on Friday with Manchester United hosting Fulham at 3:00 pm ET on USA Network. Defending league champions Manchester City open their season on Sunday at 11:30 am ET against Chelsea on NBC and Peacock. Arsenal, Liverpool, and Aston Villa joined City in the top four spots last season, securing spots in the UEFA Champions League this season. All matches of the Premier League season will air on either NBC, USA Network, or Peacock in the U.S.
Spanish LaLiga: Spain’s top soccer league, LaLiga, begins its season on Thursday with one of the world’s top stars joining the league. Kylian Mbappé, who previously played for Paris Saint-Germain, joined reigning LaLiga and Champions League champions Real Madrid over the summer. Mbappé’s arrival, alongside the return of stars such as Jude Bellingham, Rodrigo, and Vinicius Jr., makes Real Madrid one of the top contenders for the 2024-2025 season crown. Madrid will begin their season on Sunday at 3:30 pm ET against Mallorca. The LaLiga season begins Thursday with Athletic Club-Getafe at 1:00 pm ET and Real Betis-Girona at 3:30 pm ET. All LaLiga games will air on ESPN+ this season in the U.S.
Italian Serie A: The Serie A in Italy is also beginning its season later this week. Inter Milan ran away with the league title last season, securing 19 more points over second place AC Milan, and winning their 20th Serie A title, the most of any Italian club. Inter kicks off the Serie A season on Saturday at 12:30 pm ET against Genoa, while AC Milan begins their season at 2:45 pm ET against Torino. Juventus, Atalanta, and Bologna rounded out the top five of last season’s table, securing spots in the UEFA Champions League alongside Inter and AC Milan. Every Serie A match this season will air on Paramount+ in the U.S.
Michigan Football: The NCAA handed down its punishment on former Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh last week. The collegiate sports regulator previously found that Harbaugh had violated recruiting rules during the COVID-19 pandemic by contacting recruits and players when it was not permissible to do so. Harbaugh was given a four-year, show cause order, banning him from college athletics until August 2028. Harbaugh left Michigan after last season to become the head coach of the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers. The case was unrelated to the sign-stealing investigation that enveloped Michigan football last season. Michigan’s new head coach Sherrone Moore is facing NCAA allegations that he violated rules during the investigation.
Wrapping up the Facts
Before this edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts wraps up, here’s another reminder to check out the latest episodes of the Zander’s Facts Podcast. Download and listen to the latest episode of the podcast, along with every episode of Zander’s Facts, wherever you get your podcasts.
You can also listen to every episode of the podcast on this very website. All Zander’s Facts podcast episodes are now available on zandersfacts.com under the “Zander’s Facts” tab for your enjoyment!
That’s a wrap on this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts. The facts in print return next Sunday, August 18, 2024.