LeBron, Kevin Durant & Co. Slam Lyles

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👋 Hey Team USA Fans!

Soon the Team USA will bid adieu to the French capital as the Summer Olympics will come to an end in a day. All the Tracks and field events have finally ended and the Americans have acquired much success. But what did Noah Lyles catch? Well, two medals and a call-out by the USA men’s basketball team. More in today’s newsletter will be about Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s stride to succeed and the harsh truth behind it.

On the other side, the ‘sportsman of the century’ Carl Lewis revealed his rocky ride with Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams. Off of the purple tracks, a blunder awaited Team USA, which could have been avoided. But Shelby McEwen’s decision misfired and cost the nation an imminent gold medal. Read ahead for the intriguing news as the Americans return home with their glorious medals!

🥇MEDAL COUNT

It’s not over yet!

🙌 HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY

LeBron, Kevin Durant & Co. Slam Lyles 🏀

Noah Lyles can’t catch a break as he is being called out left and right! Adding to that list now is the USA NBA team. Team USA basketball roster has clinched their fifth consecutive gold medal at the Olympics after defeating Team France (98-87) at the Summer Olympics. Interestingly, Sha’Carri Richardson also claimed gold for Team USA the same night at the 4×100m Relay and gained NFL legend Shannon Sharpe’s praise. Regardless, the stadium roared with the names of LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and more. The USA Basketball team’s X handle took this as the chance to call out Lyles’s statement from a year ago. In case you don’t remember, in August 2023, the 27-year-old stated that the NBA team calling themselves world champions hurt him. 

He mockingly said, “I have to watch the NBA Finals and they have 'world champion' on their head. World champion of what? The United States?... That is not the world; There ain’t no flags in the NBA.” After exactly a year, as Team USA bagged fifth Olympic gold in the French capital, they asked Lyles, “Are we the World Champs now?” Although what Lyles commented was meant for NBA teams and not the USA national team at the Olympics, Lyles still became the subject of scrutiny!

Dive Deeper: Kevin Durant & Co. Silence Noah Lyles In Front Of 27000 Paris Olympics Fans To End NBA Controversy

📊 POLL OF THE DAY

🌟 ES EXCLUSIVE

Carl Lewis On 'Rocky' Experience With Nadal

The spectacular Olympic ceremony had the people watching in Paris, and outside of it, completely awestruck. And what caught the people's attention the most was the torch-bearing ceremony, followed by the boats rallying with legendary players over the river Seine. In the lot, there were many familiar faces, like Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal, Carl Lewis, and veteran gymnast Nadia Comaneci. These four had the task of passing the torch for its traditional cauldron lighting ceremony, but the path was not easy at all.

As seen, they had successfully completed it as the four were reunited at the Paris Olympics. However, after the ceremony ended, the 9-time Olympic medalist, Lewis, in an exclusive interview with us, shared his experience of riding the boat on the river Seine. Lewis was visibly worried about touching the flame as he tried to keep his balance. He expressed the ride with Nadal & Co. saying, “Going down the river in that boat it was a little rocky cuz it’s pretty fast.” In the end, the four were safe ashore as French athletes like Zinedine Zidane, judoka Teddy Riner, and sprinter Marie-José Pérec took the torch to the cauldron. 

Dive Deeper: “Was a Little Rocky”: Carl Lewis Explains Paris Olympics Surprise With Rafael Nadal & Serena Williams (Exclusive)

😎 HERO OF THE DAY

Sydney McLaughlin On Hardest Decision

Clocking world records in and out might look effortless, but reality displays a different picture altogether. Just ask Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. The 27-year-old won her second consecutive Olympic gold in 400m at Stade de France Arena and made the world record, finishing at 50.37 seconds. This is the sixth time McLaughlin has broken a world record, but the journey to the podium was filled with skepticism, as a minor knee injury kept her out of the tracks largely in the 2023 season.

After acquiring another gold medal at the Olympics, McLaughlin revealed that she had been preparing for these moments for an entire year with her coaches. And everything comes down to execution at the purple tracks. She further added, “We practice all the scenarios, so it’s really just executing. It may look easy, but I promise you it hurts, and it’s a lot of focus and hard work.” Despite the strain of becoming the ‘best sprinter in the world’ takes on her body, McLaughlin had given her all for it and silenced those who had ever doubted her winning an Olympic medal. 

Dive Deeper: “Hurts”: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Expresses Grief Over Biggest Track & Field Career Hurdle

High Jumper's Blunder Costs Olympic Gold

Was it a competitive spirit or lack of sportsmanship by US high jumper Shelby McEwen? At the Stade de France, while the Track and field stars ran for the penultimate 4x400m relay, Shelby McEwen and New Zealand’s Hamish Kerr found themselves in a similar situation as the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Three years ago, Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi and Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim shared the gold medal after both cleared 2.37m. Similarly, McEwen and Kerr were also in a tie after jumping 2.36 and failing to pass the 2.38 mark. But instead of sharing the podium, the USA high jumper opted for the two men to go for the three extra rounds and decide the ultimate gold medalist.

McEwen and Kerr missed the 2.36m threshold, and the bar was lowered to 2.34m. The Kiwi high jumper made it through, but McEwen unfortunately failed. Kerr took the gold, while the USA athlete had to settle for a silver.

Dive Deeper: USA High Jumper’s Unsportsmanlike Behavior at Paris Olympics Erases Heartfelt 2021 Moment at Mega Games

📝 STORIES YOU SHOULDN’T MISS!

1. How Many Athletes Have Proposed at the Paris Olympics? Athletes Making the Most of Their Time in the City of Love - Full Story

2. “Hurts”: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Expresses Grief Over Biggest Track & Field Career Hurdle - Full Story

3. Blamed for Missing Gold, Kenny Bednarek Addresses Backlash Over Paris Olympics Final Mishap - Full Story

4. Why Did Jamaica’s 4x400 Women’s Relay Team Quit the Paris Olympics? - Full Story

5. Heartbreaking Exit From Paris Olympics Aside, Eliud Kipchoge Makes Most of Retirement Marathon: "Walking with Me"- Full Story

Paris Olympics Live: Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Swimming, Athletics and More Team USA Updates

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