Paris Olympics 2024 Live Updates: Indian archers like Deepika Kumari, Dhiraj Bommadevara and Tarundeep Rai are in the fray as the archery competition starts with ranking rounds on Thursday.
Summer Paris Olympics 2024 recap: The Indian men’s and women’s archery teams qualified directly for the quarterfinals of their respective events as archery kickstarted the country’s Paris Olympics campaign on Thursday.
The star of the day was Dhiraj Bommadevara who clinched 4th seed in the men’s individual event, while along with Tarundeep Rai and Pravin Jadhav, the men’s team clinched third seed. The women’s team of Deepika Kumari, Ankita Bhakat and Bhajan Kaur finished as fourth seed in the women’s event.
Live Blog
Paris Olympics 2024 Live Updates: Catch all the live action from the archery ranking rounds on Thursday, July 25 as Deepika Kumari, Dhiraj Bommadevara, Tarundeep Rai, Pravin Jadhav, Ankita Bhakat and Bhajan Kaur start their campaigns at Paris 2024
23:42 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Archery ranking rounds
How the archers perform in the ranking round determines, to a large extent, their prospects for the rest of the Games. And on
Thursday at Esplanade des Invalides, the Indians came up with some solid performances to make it directly to the men’s and women’s team quarterfinals. Leading the way was Dhiraj Bommadevara, arguably the country’s best archer at the moment.
Recap of today's events here.
23:23 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: It's time to look forward to the opening ceremony
That's the only event scheduled for Friday and it promises to be quite the spectacle. Thanks for tuning in today.
22:32 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Archery ranking rounds
Sanjeeva Singh of the Archery Association of India shares some statistical insights: If we look at the Men team point average it has gone up from Tokyo from 9.08 to 9.32 at Paris. The current average of the Indian men's team is 9..32 which is at par or above all countries barring France at 9.38 and Korea at 9.49 suggesting that we have a fair chance to fight for a medal. If we look at the point average it has gone up from Rio where the women's team last played, from 8.76 to 9.18 at Paris. The current average of Indian Women team is 9.18 which at par or above all countries barring China at 9.24 and Korea at 9.47 suggesting that we have a fair chance to fight for a medal here too.
21:53 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Archery ranking rounds
Quick recap of the day (via PTI): Led by the in-form Dhiraj Bommadevara and Ankita Bhakat, India's campaign at the Paris Olympics began on a positive note as the country's archers secured a direct entry into the quarterfinals of both the men's and women's team events after finishing third and fourth respectively in the ranking round here on Thursday.
Debutants Dhiraj and Ankita's good show in the qualifications helped India finish in the top four, giving them favourable draws to clinch an elusive Olympic medal in archery. The top four in the team standings directly advance to the quarterfinals, while those ending between 5th to 12th play the Round of 16 fixtures. The Indian men's team is seeded third, which means they will not feature in the same pool as the invincible Koreans in the next round. Now, both the Indian teams need just two wins for securing Olympics medals.
Dhiraj, the world cup bronze-medallist, who defeated Tokyo Olympics silver winner Mauro Nespoli in Antalya, lived up to the expectations by finishing fourth in the individual round.
21:46 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live:
Carrying the Olympic flame yesterday in the Paris 2024 Torch Relay was an honor beyond words. ? The spirit of the Games lives in each of us, and I am humbled to be part of this incredible journey. Let's continue to inspire, dream, and achieve together! ??? #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/6f9oEiWu61
— Abhinav A. Bindra OLY (@Abhinav_Bindra) July 25, 2024
20:51 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Men's ranking round
By being fourth seed, Dhiraj avoids top seed Kim Woojin and reigning champion Mete Gazoz in his quarter (Kim vs Mete QF potentially, that will be a cracker if that happens!). Dhiraj also avoids Kim Je Deok in his half. Dhiraj will have a tricky R16 awaits against Tokyo silver medallist Mauro Nespoli but Dhiraj's beaten him recently. Possible QF vs Lee would also be a tough one but not impossible.
20:41 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Men's ranking round
A look at India's path towards a possible podium in the men's team event.
— Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) July 25, 2024#Paris2024 #Olympics#Archery Here's the confirmed draw for the men's team.
India's QF either COL or TUR.
Potential SF against FRA.
Possible final against KOR.I do hope Pravin finds better form before then, because this just got real. https://t.co/WZnxqh39k7 pic.twitter.com/HRab7fHXED
20:40 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Men's ranking round
Medal quest started off right for Kim Woojin! ???#ArcheryInParis pic.twitter.com/Pas6HAklll
— World Archery (@worldarchery) July 25, 2024
20:10 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Men's ranking round
Remember the feeling of "what if..." after the ranking rounds in Tokyo and Rio, a few differences here and there in the seedings could have helped etc. But can't have asked more today, especially Dhiraj Bommadevera. Team events were India's best bet to end a long wait for archery, and they have done alright in all three of them. The women likely to face Korea in the semis, but will still be in with a shot for medal even if they lose that. The men's team don't have to face Korea till the final (but have also shown the form to beat them this year) and the mixed team of Dhiraj and Ankita avoid Korea till semis too. A fairly decent day all said and done.
19:59 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Men's ranking round
Men's team: 3rd seed
Mixed team (Dhiraj & Ankita): 5th seed
Dhiraj Bommadevara: 681 (4th seed)
Tarundeep Rai: 674 (14th)
Pravin Ramesh Jadhav: 658 (39th)
19:56 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Men's ranking round
Dhiraj, take a bow! (Pardon the pun). A superb second half by India's top male archer, as he finishes with a 59 in his final end, for a total of 681 and earns fourth seed. It propels the mixed team to 5th seed, and the men's team to 3rd seed. Solid effort.
19:48 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Men's ranking round
Dhiraj moves up to 5th position with a 56, Tarundeep with a solid 57 and with one set of arrows left, looks like India will finish as third seeds behind Korea and France. We will wait for the final End but that looks sorted as does Dhiraj finishing ahead of Tarundeep.
19:46 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: A video based on Mihir Vasavda's stoy regarding India's sleep advisor
— The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) July 25, 2024#Explainedin60 | Sleep advisor, sleeping pods & kits: India’s Plan Zzzz for its Paris dreams
Neeraj Chopra had to spend most nights at the Olympic village tossing and turning in bed before his gold medal winning effort at the Tokyo Games.
The javelin thrower wasn’t alone in… pic.twitter.com/ASfNl2FFu5
19:41 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Men's ranking round
Actually, finishing as 3rd seed would also mean India are in the other half away from Korea. Just a clarification there.
19:40 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Men's ranking round
Oh dear, that could be somewhat of a costly slip up. Tarundeep and Pravin with 54s and the team ranking drops to 3. Second seed would be quite fantastic, if they can recover from here somehow. Because that would mean no Korea till the finals (even though the Indians did beat Korea earlier this year). Dhiraj meanwhile has separation and looks set to finish higher than Tarundeep.
19:33 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Men's ranking round
A little more from Amit Kamath on the Robin Hood shot:
How difficult was this shot from An San to achieve? Very! According to an article on World Archery, both archers were using the Easton X10 arrows, where the ends of the arrow are slightly thinner than the centre. George Tekmitchov, the engineer who designed the X10 arrows, told World Archery that An San’s shot must have been no more than 0.2 mm away from the dead centre of Kim Je Deok’s arrow. Now consider that An San made the shot from a distance of 70 metres while being at the mercy of elements like the wind.
19:32 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Men's ranking round
Superb from Dhiraj, this! A 59 now in the 9th end and he has again overtaken Tarundeep in the standings. It swings once more. Meanwhile, India are No 2 in the men's team standings as Pravin too fires a fine 58 this end. Terrific 2nd half so far.
19:27 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Men's ranking round
Looks like we might have jinxed the Koreans somewhat, especially Kim Je Deok, another of Tokyo's stars. The legend Kim Woojin is in the lead now.
19:25 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Men's ranking round
What’s a Robin Hood shot in archery? Amit Kamath with a lovely tidbit.
A Robin Hood shot in archery is used to describe a shot when one arrow becomes embedded into the back of another arrow. Literally, when an arrow that’s already hit the target gets split by another arrow. In such situations, both arrows are always awarded the same score.
This is a very rare occurrence in archery, but this happened at the Tokyo Olympics when South Korea’s An San hit an arrow shot by her teammate, Kim Je Deok, during the semifinals of the first Olympic mixed team event in a match against Mexico. Both arrows scored the maximum of 10 points.
The duo went on to win gold in the mixed event. An San, in fact, ended the Tokyo Olympics with three gold medals. So rare was this occurrence that the two arrows, one still embedded into the second one, have been put on public display at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne. The archers donated the history-making arrows to the Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage.
19:22 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Men's ranking round
It's a fine mini battle at the moment between India's Dhiraj and Tarundeep. In the 8th end, it is Tarundeep's turn to shoot a solid 58 and he moves back ahead of Dhiraj who shot 56.
19:21 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Men's ranking round
And Dhiraj makes his move! A fine 58 to start the second half and he is in the top 10, goes past Tarundeep too. India move up to 3rd in men's team, and 7th on mixed team with Dhiraj taking over. Tarundeep and Pravin both with 55.
19:08 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Men's ranking round
In the first 36 arrows:
Kim Je Deok has shot just one 8, rest all 9 or 10.
Lee Woo Seok hasn't shot anything below 9.
Kim Woojin shot one 7 in End 1 but hasn't gone below 9 or otherwise.
19:03 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Men's ranking round
India's scores at the halfway mark.
Tarundeep Rai: 337
Dhiraj Bommadevara: 335
Pravin Ramesh Jadhav: 328
19:01 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Men's ranking round
At the halfway stage, it's a Korea 1-2-3 at the top. Surprise, surprise. For India, Tarundeep is still setting the pace but Dhiraj not far behind. India are 6th in the men's team standings and 7th in the mixed team. Second half of 36 arrows left.
18:46 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Men's ranking round
Tarundeep with a superb 58 and he is certainly a make strong case for himself here, the veteran. Dhiraj with a 57 so he loses some ground on his senior teammate. Pravin continues to struggle, it's a 55 for him as the first half ends. India move up to 5th in the men's team standings, remain 8th in the mixed team.
18:38 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Men's ranking round
Dhiraj has bounced back with a couple of 56s to his name and is now close to Tarundeep, who dropped a 53 in the fourth end. The men's team are still in 6th place as Pravin continues to stay outside the top 40.
A reminder that the top scores of the female and male archer from a country will decide the mixed team seedings but the NOC can still select another archer for the actual event. So if Dhiraj doesn't finish ahead of Tarundeep, India will have a tricky call to take.
18:31 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Men's ranking round
After three ends, Indian men are ranked 6th and the mixed team is down to 9th. Pravin well off the pace in the early stages, with 55, 55 and 53. Tarundeep steadier, in the top 20.
18:30 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Men's ranking round
In the 2nd end, Dhiraj has gone down quite a bit. A 53 from him and he has slipped below Tarundeep Rai among the Indians. Dhiraj is seen as India's best bet at these Games and if he doesn't recover quickly, it could be a concern going forward in the mixed team event.
18:20 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Men's ranking round
OK, the scores have started coming in for the men's ranking rounds too. Dhiraj with a solid 57 to start. Pravin and the veteran Tarundeep with 55 each. We will keep an eye on the mixed team seedings, important not to finish 8th or 9th there as that would mean a quarterfinal against Korea.
#Paris2024 #Olympics#Archery OK definitely don't finish 8th or 9th in mixed team ? (Very early days...)https://t.co/WZnxqh2Buz pic.twitter.com/UqmcP22xZe
— Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) July 25, 2024
17:58 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Women's ranking round
Here's what Lim had to say earlier about her WORLD RECORD score of 694.
“It’s my first Olympics so I wanted to give it everything. I prepared for it. And then I just tried to enjoy it. The result followed. It wasn’t like I prepared differently,” she added. “But the expectations of the people were different for this competition. Qualification is just the beginning of everything. So instead of feeling the pressure, I will try to get through it, one by one,”
via World Archery
17:44 (IST)25 Jul 2024
When the Indian men's archery team beat Korea earlier this year...
India’s male recurve archers looked inwards to secure a historic World Cup win over archery’s most dominant team Korea, on Sunday. The thought of taking on the sport’s superpower didn’t faze them.
Stressing on their own strengths and sharing tips on how to shoot in windy, rainy conditions, instead of freaking out over the reputation of opponents, the trio of Indian archers Tarundeep Rai, Dhiraj Bommadevara and Pravin Jadhav completed a 5-1 (57-57, 57-55, 55-53) win over the renowned South Koreans. Claiming the World Cup Stage I title in Shanghai, they bagged the two points awarded to each set won, and 1 point for the tied opener.
They would hug each other and signal a victory sign to the coaching contingent in the stands after big names like Lee Wooseok, and two-time Olympic gold medallists Kim Je Deok and Kim Woojin, had been taken down.
The win was India’s maiden win over archery powerhouse Korea in the men’s team event at world level. It also meant that an Indian men’s Recurve team emerged champions for the first time at any Archery World Cup since 2010, when Rai along with Rahul Banerjee and Jayanta Talukdar had defeated Japan in the final in Shanghai.
“Match se pehle Korea hai, yeh nahi socha tha (We did not think much before that we will be facing Korea). We went with only one mindset that was to give our best. We kept discussing our strengths and how we can counter the rainy conditions. The communication among us was the key for each one of us and that’s what worked for us. Of course, such wins over Olympic champions give one confidence and we all would like to take it further,” said Bommadevara while speaking with the Indian Express from Shanghai.
Read more by Nitin Sharma here.
17:25 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Women's ranking round
We also have the confirmation of the brackets for the women. Ankita vs Bhajan is a potential 2nd round clash. Deepika is also in the same bottom half, a different quarter. Two Koreans in the top half., including new world record holder Lim.
17:20 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Men's ranking round
Coming up shortly is the men's ranking round. Similar procedure to the women's, but one additional aspect to keep an eye on will be the mixed team seedings too.
15:25 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Women's ranking round
We will confirm the draws and brackets soon once they are official but we now know that the Indian women's team will get a straight entry into quarterfinals where they will face the winner of France vs Netherlands. And because they finished fourth, they have to take on the almighty Korea in the semifinals. (And if they lose that, they will enter the bronze medal match).
15:23 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Women's ranking round
First step to glory.
— World Archery (@worldarchery) July 25, 2024
Archers arrive at the qualifying rounds! ??#ArcheryInParis pic.twitter.com/jnRhaESE1A
15:20 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Women's ranking round
WORLD RECORD ALERT: We were discussing a while back about An San missing out the team selection for Paris, but this is what Korea do. They produce one superstar archer after another. Lim Sihyeon with a STUNNING 694 to create a new world record.
15:13 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Women's ranking round
Not a good finish by the Indian trio, especially Ankita and Bhajan who score 54 & 53 in the last end as India finish as 4th seeds in the team event, meaning they are in the same half as Korea.
Ankita Bhakat: 666 (11th)
Bhajan Kaur: 659 (22nd),
Deepika Kumari: 658 (23rd)
15:07 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Women's ranking round
India are now level on points with Mexico for the third spot! Ankita with a superb 58 to move into the 8th spot individually. Bhajan and Deepika with a 56 each,.
One round to go!
15:01 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Know your archer: A pawned mangalsutra kept Dhiraj’s career afloat
Dhiraj Bommadevara’s father once pawned his wife’s mangalsutra at the bank to buy him archery gear. At his debut Olympics at Paris 2024, the 22-year-old archer, who is the top ranked Indian male archer in the fray at World No 12, could repay that sacrifice from his parents with a gold medal. Dhiraj comes into the Paris Olympics in red-hot form, winning 10 international medals in the past 12 months. But the path to getting to the Olympics was not always easy for the Andhra Pradesh boy from a humble background. “2017 was the year with the most struggle for my parents and me. The Youth World Championship trials were happening. My father told me that was my last shot in the sport. Papa ne mummy ka mangalsutra bank main rakh diya aur mere liye pura naya archery set kharida (My father mortgaged my mother’s mangalsutra in a bank to buy me a new archery set). I ended outside the top three spots. Just three people were to be sent to the Youth World Championship,” Dhiraj recently told the YouTube handle of Sevilla FC. However, Dhiraj’s performance earned him a scholarship from Olympic Gold Quest, which also saw him getting a monthly stipend of Rs 15,000. “Back then, Rs 15,000 was a lot of money! I knew how much my parents were struggling at that time. It was funny, I thought if I don't get selected for the team my career was over. But finishing fourth actually kick-started my career.”In the video, Dhiraj also spoke about how he would pretend to have “stomach pain” to avoid going to school as a kid. And once the school had started, he would make a miraculous recovery and then start exhorting his father to take him to the local ground to play.
14:57 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Women's ranking round
India back in fourth place on team standings, pipping France as we near the end of the qualification round. Bhajan Kaur with a superb 58 there in the 10th end. Deepika with 55, Ankita with 54. The gap to Mexico in third place is just 3 points.
14:48 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Women's ranking round
Oh dear, oh dear. Deepika Kumaris shoots a FIVE in the 9th end. That's another poor arrow from the veteran and it brings India down to 5th on the team standings as of now. It's a 51 from Deepika, while Ankita and Bhajan shoot 55.
14:39 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Women's ranking round
India move up to 4th now in the team standing as Ankita recovers with a decent 56. Being in the top four will earn India a bye to the quarterfinals... but they would have to face Korea there. They'd really love to avoid that.
14:37 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: The curse of individual archery at the Olympics
The curse of individual archery at the Olympics
At the Olympic Games, no archer has ever retained their individual Olympic gold medal. Turkey’s Mete Gazoz is looking to change that record at Paris 2024 as he competes in the men’s individual event. However, Tokyo 2020 women’s individual winner An San has already been struck by the curse: she did not even make the Korean team this year, after a barnstorming Olympics in Tokyo where she became the first archer to ever win three gold medals at a single Olympic Games.
14:36 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Women's ranking round
The second half has begun and Indian women's team move up a spot to 5th, thanks to a solid 57 from Deepika Kumari. Deepika goes past Bhajan too in the process. But Ankita seems to have lost the early momentum and she is hovering outside the top 10.
14:30 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Women's ranking round
So if you are wondering what recurve archery is (and why India's super trio of Jyothi, Parneet and Aditi aren't in Paris), here's a quick breakdown of how recurve archery works by Amit Kamath.
In recurve archery, archers shoot over a distance of 70 metres at targets measuring 122 centimetres in diameter. The aim is to hit the 10-ring measuring just 12.2 centimetres in diameter – or about the size of an orange.The difference between recurve and compound archery (which is not contested at the Olympics), is that in recurve archery, the arrows are propelled forwards by the limbs at the end of the bow. In recurve, archers use their strength to pull the arrow before release. This is a much simpler design than the compound bows, where there’s a complex pulley system which makes the bows heavier than recurve bows.
There is *no* compound archery in the Olympic programme, unfortunately for India.
14:23 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Women's ranking round
And yes, if you are still wondering about the leaderboard, Lim has opened up a massive 11 point gap between first and second places. She is sitting on a stunning 353.
Here's a glimpse of the archery action...
— Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) July 25, 2024This is how #Archery qualification action looks like ?
(Reuters photo) https://t.co/WZnxqh2Buz pic.twitter.com/U6TEOuMpBz
14:10 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Women's ranking round
First half done, and Ankita Bhakat too has slipped a bit after a fine start. Back-to-back-to-back 55s from her and she is 12th as of now. Bhajan has picked up some slack, with a 58 in the 5th end but drops a 54 next. Deepika Kumari hasn't seemed to get going, shooting a couple of 55s to be 37th.
In the team rankings, meanwhile, India were in the top 4 a while back but are now down to 6th. This is one to keep an eye on.
13:57 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Women's ranking round
This won't be needed for today, but Amit Kamath explains how the set system works in archery. This will come into play later down the line. But here's a handy expainer.
Archery uses the set system to decide who wins the contest and progresses to the next round. Here's how the set system works: In both individual and team events in archery, archers shoot a series of arrows called ‘sets’. The highest score in a set is awarded two set points. A draw awards one set point each.
In an individual match, a set consists of three arrows and the goal is to accrue six set points. If an individual match is tied at five set points after five sets, the match goes to a tiebreak. Each archer shoots a single arrow. The arrow that lands closest to the middle of the target wins the match.
In a mixed team match (one male and one female archer), the goal is to accrue five set points. A set consists of four arrows, two per archer.
In a team match (three archers of the same gender), the goal is to accrue five set points. A set consists of six arrows, two per archer.
If a mixed team or team match is tied at four set points after four sets, the match goes to a tiebreak. Each archer shoots a single arrow. The mixed team or team with team with the highest score wins the match. If the scores are tied then the mixed team or team with the arrow closest to the middle of the target wins the match.
13:54 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Women's ranking round
A series of five 9s from Ankita and it pulls her down a bit to the 8th place, for a total of 55 in the fourth end. Bhajan Kaur meanwhile makes her move past Deepika Kumari, with a 57 over the veteran's 56. Shock horror, we have two Koreans at the top now.
13:52 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Know your archery venue - Esplanade des Invalides
Amit Kamath chips in.
The Esplanade des Invalides is a large green space extending from the majestic Hôtel des Invalides in the 7th arrondissem*nt of Paris. The esplanade is linked to the Grand Palais on the right bank of the Seine via the elegant Pont Alexandre III bridge. Surrounded by spectacular gardens, the Hôtel des Invalides was built in 1687 under Louis XIV as a military hospital and a retirement home for war veterans. Today, the world famous complex contains museums and monuments linked to France’s military history, as well as
Napoléon Bonaparte’s tomb. The Esplanade des Invalides runs north to south,
with rows of trees along its western and eastern sides. This large open space in the heart of the capital has become a popular leisure destination for locals and tourists to exercise, play music or go for a walk. The Esplanade des Invalides will provide an exceptional backdrop to the Olympic and Paralympic Archery events, Athletics (Marathon) and Cycling (Individual Time Trial) events. The Esplanade des Invalides will be at the heart of an area dedicated to the Paris 2024 Games, just a stone’s throw away from competition venues such as the Pont Alexandre III, the Grand Palais, La Concorde, the Eiffel Tower stadium, the Champ-de-Mars arena, as well as the Pont d’Iéna.
Nicholas D’Amour, the two-time Olympian from the US Virgin Islands, told World Archery. “The venue is just absolutely incredible,” he said. “It’s kind of the most incredible venue there’s ever been for archery.” “Tokyo was a legacy venue, so there is a lot of value in that, but definitely the surroundings of this venue make it something special.”
13:50 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Women's ranking round
Ankita Bhakat continues with a really solid start, a fine 59 in the third end. Deepika and Bhajan still seem to be struggling though. Of course, no idea about conditions for the event regarding wind and what not, but 54 & 56 from them respectively as they continue to be around the 40th position.
13:43 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Women's ranking round
You can't always predict things in sport but here we are, with Korea leading the way in archery as usual. Interesting fact: An San, one of the breakout sensations from Tokyo, hasn't even made the squad this time. But Lim Sihyeon has started on fire, shooting two 59s in her first two ends out of 60.
13:39 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Women's ranking round
Scores are in for the 2nd end too and Ankita is leading the way for the Indians. She shoots 57 and is hovering around the top 10. Deepika Kumari with a solid 56 too as she moves up but Bhajan quite far behind with a 54 in her 2nd end. Reminder that the team seedings will be decided by the total of all three archers.
13:31 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Women's ranking round
Scores have started to come in and yikes, not a good start for Deepika Kumari, with a stray 6-pointer in the first end. Long way to go of course but already some catching up to do. Bhajan also with a 51, Ankita is slightly better at a 54. No prizes for guessing which country is at the top... Lim with a 59 for Korea.
13:15 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Women's ranking round first
Elaborating a bit more, a total of 64 female archers will shoot first up to decide their rankings. The men shoot later in the day. As is customary in recurve, archers will shoot over a distance of 70 metres at targets measuring 122 centimetres in diameter, aiming to hit a 10-ring measuring just 12.2 centimetres in diameter. The ranking round is scored with a total 72 arrows cumulatively, so a total of 720 points possible. The World record is 691.
Archers, teams and mixed teams then shoot through head-to-head brackets, so how much the score today is hugely important. No 1 will play No 64, No 2 will play No 63 and so on in the knockout bracket. The scores today will also decide the seedings for teams which have qualified for men's and women's team events (as India have) plus mixed team too.
13:11 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: So what to expect today?
#Paris2024 #Olympics#Archery Here's what's at stake in the ranking rounds today. The 64 archers in women's and men's events will shoot for a score of 720 to determine their ranks. Once the ranks are decided, the draw is set. (Same for 12 teams)https://t.co/WZnxqh39k7 pic.twitter.com/Zian56KY06
— Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) July 25, 2024
12:56 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Mihir Vasavda's first report from on ground
THE WAITER grumbles something in French and it certainly isn’t “bonjour”.
On any other Wednesday morning, this chic brasserie near the banks of the River Seine would have had waves of customers flowing in and out. But a “lockdown” that reminds him of the pandemic, a part of the strict security measures before Friday’s opening ceremony, means business is slow and the serveur’s tips have dried up. So, he’s grumpy.
And he isn’t the only one. The Games are here and the locals seem testy.
Then again, Simon Kuper issues a tongue-in-cheek disclaimer. “Parisians complain about everything all the time,” says the British-French author.
A lament can be a conversation starter. Be it ‘se plaindre’ (grumbling generally), ‘raler’ (complaining for fun), or ‘faire la gueule’ (sulking).
They crib that the build-up has been mired in political turmoil of Olympic proportions. Scoff over the tripling public transport rates, the sudden metro station closures and the out-of-bounds city centre. They whine about the rats swimming in the Seine. And worry that the balconies of the Haussmann-era buildings along the iconic river may not be able to take the weight of the crowds expected to gather there to watch the opening ceremony.
Complaining, in this Olympic season, has become a medal sport. But like any host fearing that everything could go wrong when the guests turn up, the last-minute jitters and trepidation are finely counter-balanced with growing excitement and fervent hope.
Read more here.
12:54 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Mihir Vasavda is in Paris for us
...and he sends this brilliant photo before tomorrow's Opening Ceremony.
— Express Sports (@IExpressSports) July 25, 2024Stands on one bank, golden confetti on the other. ??
River Seine decked up for Friday's opening ceremony ?
? @mihirsv https://t.co/y1J7kkNKEZ pic.twitter.com/mCr5wSZxmg
12:49 (IST)25 Jul 2024
Paris Olympics 2024 Live: Welcome!
And the day is here. Weeks and months of hard work, dreams of a lifetime... it will all come to fruition for thousands of athletes around the world over the next couple of weeks as the Olympics arrive in Paris. For Indians, a 117-member contingent is widely expected to better the tally from Tokyo. But more than just medals, Paris 2024 will be a platform for many to showcase their best at the biggest stage.
And the action begins on Day -1, one day before the official opening ceremony, with archery ranking rounds. No medals at stake today of course, but a hugely important day nonetheless as the ranking round will determine the fate of the archers and their paths to the podium over the coming week. Stay tuned!
