Olympics news: Team GB snatch silver medal as death in athlete's village explained

That's all from us today, but we'll be back with more tomorrow in a new LIVE blog.

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A reminder of those British medals during Saturday's action.

Scarlett Mew Jensen and Yasmin Harper won Team GB's first medals of the Paris Olympics, securing bronze in the women’s synchronised 3m springboard.

Cyclist Anna Henderson then took advantage of some chaos in the women’s time trial to snatch Great Britain’s first silver medal on a successful opening day.

Adam Peaty is through to the 100m breaststroke final after winning Saturday's semi-final.

The British swimmer, 29, is hunting a third consecutive gold medal in the event.

Lionel Elika Fatupaito, Samoa's boxing coach, has died at the age of 60 after suffering a cardiac arrest at the Olympic village in Paris on Friday.

The incident occurred around 10:20am local time prior to the opening ceremony in Paris.

According to reports from Le Parisien, he was with an athlete when the heart attack struck and despite the emergency team's best efforts, he was declared dead at the location due to "natural causes".

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Italian athlete Gianmarco Tamberi has apologised to his wife after losing his wedding ring in the River Seine.

The gold medal-winning high jumper was one of Italy’s torchbearer’s during the opening ceremony on Friday.

But as he was holding the torch, he felt his ring slip off his finger. He saw it bounce off the floor of the boat before ricocheting into the river.

He posted a lengthy apology to his wife on Instagram.

Hosts France have won their first gold medals of the Olympics.

Their rugby sevens team have beaten Fiji 28-7 in the gold medal match.

It finally appeared to stop raining at the final whistle...

Bev Priestman has been handed a one-year ban over the Olympics football spygate scandal.

The Canada women's boss took responsibility for a drone that flew over the training session of opponents New Zealand.

FIFA has banned Priestman and two members of her coaching staff from all football-related activity for a year.

Canada have also been docked six points in Group A and their football federation has been fined £175,000.

Read our breaking news story by clicking here.

Novak Djokovic has hit out at the Olympics entry rules after a one-sided victory in his hunt for an elusive gold medal.

The Serb defeated Matthew Ebden 6-0 6-1. His Australian opponent had not played singles match in around two years.

Ebden, one of the world’s best doubles stars, was allowed to face Djokovic due to a strange rule. Players who withdrew after July 19 - and there have been many - can only be replaced by a player competing in another event.

Djokovic wants the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to change the rules, which he claims damage the image of the sport.

He said: “I really don’t understand the rules, they’re really not logical for me. I don’t think it’s a good image for the sport, to be honest.

“There were a lot of singles players that had plenty of time, that were alternates, that could have been called to come. I really hope the ITF along with the Olympics will consider changing this rule.”

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There will be no tennis matches on the outside courts at Roland Garros due to the downpours in Paris.

The ITF has confirmed that play on those courts will recommence tomorrow.

Novak Djokovic revealed he felt proud to see long-term rival Rafael Nadal carry the Olympic torch.

Nadal was one of the key torchbearers during the opening ceremony in Paris on Friday evening.

“Well as a tennis player I felt pride that a tennis player is getting that kind of honour. Him, Serena, Amelie Mauresmo,” Djokovic said.

“It’s amazing for tennis players to be able to be recognised and respected like that.

“I can only imagine how good he felt and the emotions he was going through. It’s one of the most special occasions and experience you can have as an athlete, being the flagbearer for your nation in the opening ceremony and carrying the torch as well.”

Paris Olympics athletes have reportedly been offered free cabaret tickets at one of France’s most high-profile adult venues.

The offer, which is also open to media covering the Games, has been made by Secret Square in Paris.

Any athletes who feel bored at their team bases have the option to enter the venue for free by showing their Olympics accreditation.

"During their stay in Paris, athletes, their team & journalists covering the event won't have to pay the entrance fee," a spokesperson allegedly told TMZ.

It's a silver medal for Great Britain in the women's cycling.

Anna Henderson comes in second in Paris and picks up a silver for Team GB.

Brazilian Olympian Carlos Parro has been issued a warning after performing a controversial practice that restricts oxygen to horses' jaws and turns their tongues blue.

Equestrian's governing body, the Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI), has cautioned eventer Parro for causing "unnecessary discomfort to a horse" as concerns regarding the animal continue to grow after the scandal involving Brit Charlotte Dujardin.

FEI president Ingmar De Vos received a letter from animal rights group PETA with evidence of Parro allegedly hyperflexing Safira's neck in a banned movement called 'Rollkur', where a horse's breathing is harmed.

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The slippy conditions in Paris have made for a chaotic women's time trial, with several falls already as the competitors try to navigate the treacherous roads in the quickest time possible.

American hopeful Taylor Knibb fell off a staggering four times and had to change her bike - then the Team USA mechanic slipped over when carrying it to her.

Demanding stuff for those involved. Team GB star Anna Henderson has just started her own run.

A doubles match between the Italian duo of Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani, and the Kiwi pairing of Lulu Sun and Erin Routliffe, has been postponed until tomorrow (Sunday).

Weather conditions have held up the schedule with outside courts closed for long periods at Roland-Garros.

It's not all bad news for Paolini, though, as she got her women's singles campaign underway with a straight-sets win over Ana Bogdan earlier in the day.

Team GB bronze medallists Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen have described how they felt when their Australian rivals fumbled a bronze medal which looked to be firmly in their grasp.

Anabelle Smith accidentally sprung herself off the side of the board during Australia's fifth and final dive, when they only needed a score of 58 to pass the Brits.

"We knew that Australia needed to mess up, basically," said Mew Jensen after taking third in the women's 3m springboard. "So for that to actually happen, we were very, very shocked, because that's a very easy dive for them.

"They're very talented, very experienced. Olympic medallists themselves. So it was very shocking on that last dive. But we knew that we needed to deliver towards the end of it."

Harper added: "To watch them not perform on the last round - I think I knew straight away that it wasn't enough."

There will be no play on the outside courts at Roland-Garros until at least 13:30 (BST) due to the weather conditions in Paris.

Last night's opening ceremony was soaked with rain and the French capital is yet to brighten up.

On the main courts, Iga Swiatek has built up a commanding lead over Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu.

Meanwhile, Wimbledon finalist Jasmine Paolini is in front against Ana Bogdan, also of Romania.

Team GB started their bid for men's hockey gold with a bang on Saturday, beating Spain 4-0 in Pool A.

Nick Park and Rupert Shipperley scored for Great Britain, with Gareth Furlong finding the net twice before talking up the 'perfect start' made by him and his team-mates.

"Everyone has been ready to get going and it’s a perfect start for us," he said. "Prep has been really good, we had a productive couple of training games and we’ve just been building for this first game.

"To come out first game and start with three points is the most important thing. I'm really happy."

Adam Peaty is safely through to the semi-finals of the 100m breaststroke after winning his heat in a time of 59.18 seconds.

The Team GB star punched his ticket to the next stage as the second-fastest qualifier in the heats.

"It's not where you're placed, it's about getting out there," he said. "Obviously you want to make the semi-final in a good lane which we have.

"It's very surprising that (my time) is towards the 59s but maybe everyone is playing the same game. We'll know tomorrow night."

Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen have won an Olympic bronze medal for Team GB in the women's synchronised 3m springboard after a heartbreaking blunder from the Australian duo in their final dive.

The Aussies were sitting pretty heading into their fifth effort, requiring a score of only 58 to leapfrog Harper and Mew Jensen. But Anabelle Smith inadvertently launched herself off the side of the springboard, denying Australia the medal they looked nailed-on to secure.

A distraught Smith was consoled by coaches and her team-mate, Maddison Keeney, with the British duo watching on shell-shocked.

Harper and Mew Jensen's triumph secured Team GB's first female diving medal in 64 years, and their first opening-day medal since the 2004 Athens Olympics.

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Heavy rainfall during the opening ceremony on Friday has sparked fresh concern over the River Seine's water quality.

The polluted waterway has been designated to host marathon swimming and the first leg of the triathlon during this summer's Olympic Games.

But tests showed on Friday that the water quality is slightly below the threshold needed for the swimming competitions to be authorised.

Swimming in the Seine has been a major talking point in the lead-up to the Games, with Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo jumping in last week to try and demonstrate its suitability.

Team GB have come racing out of the blocks in their Men's Hockey opener against Spain.

Nicholas Park and Gareth Furlong have both netted to build a commanding 2-0 lead.

Great Britrain's hockey side are well-fancied to go far in Paris and they are already showing their class.

The International Test Agency (ITA) has confirmed that Sajjad Ghanim Sehen has tested positive for anabolic steroids on the eve of the Games.

Olympic debutant Sehen was due to compete for Iraq in the men's judo, but he has now been banned from activity during the Games in Paris, and provisionally suspended.

Sehen, who can request a B sample, returned the adverse result on July 23 and the positive result was confirmed two days later, the ITA say.

South Korea's vice minister for sports and culture, Jang Mi-ran, has summoned International Olympics Committee President Thomas Bach for a meeting after the nation were introduced during the opening ceremony as 'Democratic People's Republic of Korea' - the official name for North Korea.

Part of South Korea's statement said: "We express regret that the country was introduced as North Korea at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games when the athletes of the Republic of Korea were entering."

North and South Korea have been in a military standoff since the 1950s.

Heavy rainfall in Paris has seen the Men's Street Skateboarding competition suspended until Monday, July 29.

Competitors have spent the week getting revved up for their event but adverse conditions have made it impossible to go ahead as planned.

The preliminaries will take place at 11am on Monday, with the final scheduled at 4pm on the same day.

Keely Hodgkinson's coach, Trevor Painter, has raised a 'question mark' over one of the British 800m hopeful's rivals in the quest for Olympic gold.

Mary Moraa is one of the biggest threats to Hodgkinson's victory, but she has not raced since the Kenyan trials in early June.

"Moraa is the big question mark because she’s not been seen for seven weeks so that raises eyebrows," said Painter.

"You like to track rivals but Mary has disappeared since trials but Keely is ready to run however it pans out, if it’s fast or not."

The Paris Olympics of 2024 have finally arrived - although not all of the tournament's events will be taking place in the French capital.

While track and field, gymnastics, martial arts and ball game events can take place in the heart of France, there are other Olympic sports which the country cannot facilitate.

And one such sport which will be held a whopping 16,000km from Paris this year comes in the form of surfing.

Four sites across France reportedly applied to host the event: Biarritz, Lacanau, Les Landes and La Torche - as well as Teahupo’o - a small village on the southeastern coast of Tahiti, French Polynesia.

And while it would have made sense to keep the games strictly in France, Teahupo'o ultimately won the bid thanks to widespread support from its surfing community.

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It's the morning after the night before, with the Olympics now in full swing after the opening ceremony in Paris.

The events are now set to come thick and fast, with the first gold medal of the Games up for grabs at just 10am in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team.

Team GB hopeful Max Whitlock will also begin qualifying in the pommel horse this morning as he goes for a third consecutive gold.

Hockey, basketball, swimming heats, skateboard and tennis at Roland-Garros will all be aired before lunchtime.

In the afternoon, Anna Henderson and Josh Tarling carry Great Britain's medal hopes in the cycling time-trials, which begin at 1:30pm.

And putting Team GB to one side, tonight's Women's 400m freestyle final in the pool should be a battle for the ages between Ariarne Titmus, Katie Ledecky and Summer McIntosh.

With the dust settling on an at-times-unusual opening ceremony in Paris, some eagle-eyed spectators think they have spotted a hilarious error while the Olympic flag was being hoisted into the air.

That is, it appears to be upside down.

The famous rings are aligned with three at the top and two at the bottom.

And though the wind wasn't blowing to give onlookers a completely clear view, flashes of the full flag did appear to show two rings at the top and three at the bottom, which would be an embarrassing blunder for ceremony organisers.

What a spectacle in Paris as French judoka Teddy Riner and sprinter Marie-Jose Perec step up and light the Olympic cauldron.

The hot air balloon it's attached to then soars into the sky to create an unforgettable image and crown an opening ceremony which cost France a fortune but left most viewers underwhelmed.

At least they're set to end on a high.

From one legend to another, French football hero Zinedine Zidane has passed the Olympic torch to Spanish tennis icon Rafael Nadal.

The flame is now with Nadal in a star-studded boat with Olympic legends Serena Williams, Nadia Comaneci and Carl Lewis.

It's not been an opening ceremony to everyone's taste but they're certainly finishing with a flourish in Paris.

There are lasers coming out of the Eiffel Tower - the full works.

Algeria's delegation were spotted throwing flowers into the River Seine as they sailed in during the opening ceremony in Friday.

The gesture was made to mourn casualties during the Algerian War of Independence - more specifically in 1961, when a protest led by Algerians living in Paris was met with a violent crackdown.

Historians estimate that there was more than 30 fatalities as some protestors, seriously injured or unable to swim, were thrown into the river.

A Eurosport commentator seemingly mistook Serena Williams' husband, Alex Ohanian, as her 'personal umbrella holder' during the Olympics opening ceremony.

Reddit co-founder Ohanian made sure his wife was sheltered from the downpour on the red carpet as they prepared to watch athletes sail down the River Seine.

The commentator said: "She looks absolutely incredible. She's got someone behind just holding an umbrella. Those are the levels you aspire to. To have an actual umbrella holder behind you."

Some fans missed out on the chance to watch Andy Murray and Team GB sail down the River Seine during Paris' opening ceremony on Friday.

Olympics chiefs suffered an embarrassing technical glitch as a jumbo screen cut out during the rain-soaked procession in Paris.

Murray was one of the biggest names on the British barge, with diver Tom Daley and rower Helen Glover chosen to bear the flag for Team GB.

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France have really pushed the boat out, so to speak, by having the Olympic athletes sail down the River Seine.

But the pouring rain, combined with the distance from the crowd, has not gone down well with many viewers.

Amid a wave of online reaction, @pecos_pest_ wrote on X: "I’m sorry but this has to be the worst Olympic opening ceremony in memory. It’s an interesting idea bringing the athletes in on boats but it looks rubbish and misses the roar of the crowd. Sorry but not for me."

Meanwhile, @Samfr added: "This is why you do opening ceremonies in the stadium..."

All nations are given the same amount of TV coverage as they sail through, so Team GB's big moment didn't last long despite their huge collection of athletes.

Tom Daley and Helen Glover waved the flag while being pelted with rain on the River Seine.

Andy Murray, who is retiring after the Games, was also on the barge along with a number of his fellow tennis stars.

And just like that, the cameras panned over to the much smaller group of athletes competing for Grenada, Guam and Guatemale on the same boat as Team GB.

Great Britain's two flag bearers, Tom Daley and Helen Glover, are certainly making the most of their time on the River Seine.

The pair have been pictured emulating the famous 'I'm flying' scene from Titanic at the front of the Team GB boat.

At least they are enjoying the idea of parading the various Olympic national teams on boats down the river. Viewers, on the whole, aren't so sure...

LeBron James and Coco Gauff are the flag bearers for Team USA, but sprinter Noah Lyles has also grabbed his moment in the spotlight by sending out a message to fans via the team's official X account.

The 27-year-old has a bronze medal from the Tokyo Games under his belt and he will be desperate to add to that haul in Paris.

Lyles said: "What's up, Team USA? This is Noah Lyles, the fastest man in the world, and we are out here in Paris getting ready to go on our tour of the world, introducing America to the Olympics.

"Let's get hyped, let's get excited and I'll see y'all out there."

Hazel Irvine and Andrew Cotter's commentary of the opening ceremony on BBC is not proving universally popular.

Many viewers have already taken to social media to voice their feelings.

"BBC Olympic opening ceremony commentators are woke alrady," wrote @waspboro1 on X.

@journokatie added: "Is the commentary over the opening ceremony annoying anyone else? Would rather just watch it with some music instead of this inane babble."

Presenter Andrew Neil also chimed in, writing: "Well so far this Olympics ceremony is distinctly underhwleming. Is it really underway."

BBC's coverage of the Olympic Games opening ceremony has left viewers divided.

Actor Tom Hiddleston was front and centre of a video montage about the Olympics, in which he spoke in a mixture of English and French.

While some were inspired, others were puzzled at why the BBC had chosen Hiddlestone to spearhead the video.

"Why have the BBC p***ed money up the wall sending Tom Hiddleston to Paris to witter inanely?" one wrote on X.

Another added: "Yes but who among us can HONESTLY say that, when they think of the metropolitan city of Paris, the first name that springs to mind isn’t Tom Hiddleston?"

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Tom Daley and Helen Glover will be proudly flying the flag for Great Britain at the Olympics opening ceremony in Paris tonight.

The pair posted a video message on Team GB's official X account before the action gets underway.

Diving star Daley said: "I can't believe it. It's been a long time coming but it's so exciting seeing all the teams dressed up, it's going to be fun."

Rowing extraordinaire Glover added: "Yeah, and the rest of Team GB are right behind us, and we'll be proudly flying the flag."

Paris Olympics organisers would have had every right to presume they would be safe from heavy rainfall during the opening ceremony in late July. But it looks like bad luck is heading their way.

Patrick Marliere, head of independent weather forecaster Agate Meteo, has warned French station RMC radio about a 'disastrous' evening ahead.

"It’s going to be a disaster for these few hours," he said. "I’ve been running models for two hours, going full circle, comparing all weather models, but unfortunately everything is confirming this trend for the start and the end of this evening. We won’t be able to avoid it."

There is a yellow rain and flood warning from France's meteorological office in place, with 15 days of rainfall expected between 6pm and midnight (local time) tonight.

Team USA are the red-hot favourites to end the Paris Olympics with the most gold medals.

China are next, at much longer odds, with host nation France third and Team GB joint-fourth.

The full list, as per BetMGM, is as follows...

USA: 1/6

China: 7/2

France: 40/1

Great Britain: 150/1

Netherlands: 150/1

Australia: 250/1

Japan: 250/1

Canada: 250/1

Snoop Dogg has completed his torch-carrying leg in Paris, four years ahead of Los Angeles hosting the games in the rapper's home state of California.

The American spread his arms wide and blew kisses to the crowd while receiving a warm reception.

And his appearance allowed BBC News host Maryam Moshiri to crack a brilliant joke.

She said: "Luckily, whilst he was carrying the torch, he didn't... 'drop it like it's hot, drop it like it's hot.'"

Sir Steve Redgrave will work for talkSPORT as a pundit in Paris after being let go by the BBC.

"I wasn't told that I've been discontinued, but it’s sort of evolved," he told the Daily Mail. "Matt (Pinsent) is the presenter and Katherine Grainger is the equivalent to what I was doing.

"The three of us worked together at the World Championships the year after Rio, but then they went, 'Male-female, covered on Olympic medals, why have three?'.

"Working for China at the last Games probably didn't help matters."

1984 Decathlon gold medalist Daly Thompson has backed Katarina Johnson-Thompson to challenge for gold in Paris.

"All things being equal she is going to be a serious contender,” he told the Mirror. “Nafissatou Thiam is going to be loaded with it, which will make all her rivals think she’s 50 points better than she is. So for the opening 110 metres hurdles, Katarina needs 13.10 seconds, or faster.

“If she looks at the clock and she’s run a good race, she will feel good, know that physically she’s OK and can attack the next six events. You hope she can produce one or two personal bests because we know she’s a great competitor, we know she can do it.”

Australian swimming coach Michael Palfrey has apologised to officials for the comments which have upset his team.Speaking to a Seoul-based television channel, Palfrey said he hopes Korean swimmer Kim Woo-min beats Australia duo Sam Short and Elijah Winington. He previously mentored Kim, the reigning 400 metre freestyle champion.While wearing Australia team colours, Palfrey said of Kim: "I really hope he can win, but ultimately I really hope he swims well. Go Korea!"

Australian hockey player Matt Dawson has made the decision to amputate part of his finger to play at the Paris Olympic Games.

The 30-year-old injured his right hand during training and faced with a two-month recovery period post-surgery, opted for amputation from the knuckle upwards.

"I'm closer to the end of my career than the start and this could be my last Olympics, and if I felt that I could still perform at my best then that's what I was going to do," he told the Parlez Vous Hockey podcast. "If taking the top of my finger was the price I had to pay, that's what I would do."

Chinese swimmer Qin Haiyang has accused doping testers at the Paris Games of being part of 'European plot' to help rivals like Adam Peaty win gold.

Haiyang, a contender for men's 200m breaststroke, believes drug testers are on a mission to unsettle China's team.

On social media, he wrote: "The European and American teams feel threatened by the performances of the Chinese team in recent years. Some tricks aim to disrupt our preparation, rhythm and destroy our psychological defence! But we are not afraid.

"When you have a clear conscience, you do not fear slander. My teammates and I will resist the pressure and win more medals to silence the sceptics."

Dressage trainer Alicia Dickinson, one of the three people who witnessed Charlotte Dujardin whipping her horse, has insisted she was not the whistleblower who leaked the footage.

Alicia Dickinson has confirmed she is the rider of the horse seen being lashed by Dujardin in the controversial video, but has taken to Instagram to deny leaking the footage.

"This week's media revelations regarding Charlotte Dujardin have been difficult to process," she wrote. "I would like to make it clear: I am not the whistleblower, I did not film the footage, any online speculation is unfounded. Our business relationship ended after the lesson in the video. I await the outcome of the FEI investigation and will not be commenting further at this moment."

French basketball player Diaba Konate has criticised her nation's Olympic association for their controversial ban on athletes wearing a hijab.

The 24-year-old Muslim has told the BBC: "It's very hypocritical for France to call itself the country of freedom, of human rights, but at the same time not allowing Muslims or their citizens to show who they are."

Paris 2024 organisers have cancelled a press conference on tonight’s Opening Ceremony 20 minutes before it was due to start, with no explanation.

The Daily Mail are reporting it is related to the absence of two of the technical directors who have been called away to address other issues.

Arsonists have carried out attacks on France's high-speed train network, causing huge travel disruption ahead of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony.

According to Sky News, the state-owned railway operator SNCF said fires had been set at installations along the lines connecting the capital with a number of cities.

Timetables are set to be severely impacted over the weekend and travellers have been urged to postpone journeys.

Novak Djokovic says he hopes Rafael Nadal is passed fit so the pair can meet in the second round of the men's singles in Paris.

“It’s gonna be a spectacle if we get to meet," he said. "Expect some fireworks on court, like the good old time. I hope we get to meet because it will probably be one last dance for both of us”

Carlos Alcaraz is the new favourite to win gold in the men's singles, according to BetMGM.

With world No.1 Jannik Sinner ruled out, the Spaniard has been given odds of 4/5.

BETMGM odds: Carlos Alcaraz 4/5; Novak Djokovic 7/2; Alexander Zverev 5/1; Casper Ruud 12/1; Rafael Nadal 18/1; Stefanos Tsitsipas 20/1; Daniil Medvedev 25/1; Alec De Minaur 33/1.

British athletes are reportedly staging a boycott of the Olympic village's food outlets in Paris.

Team GB members are said to be refusing to eat in a number of restaurant establishments because of shortages and being served uncooked meat. The team are now flying their own chefs to France to salvage matters.

READ MORE HERE.

Canada's women's soccer team will be without head coach Bev Priestman for the rest of the Olympics gold medals after she was suspended amid the drone 'spygate' row.

The Canadian Olympic Committee said on Thursday that assistant coach Andy Spence would continue to lead the side after the 2-1 win over New Zealand yesterday.

According to NBC Priestman, who watched the opener from the team hotel, will now fly home.

The day has arrived for the opening ceremony for the 2024 Paris Olympics!

A huge occasion is expected in the French capital tonight, but before then, expect plenty of news to come from the Olympic village.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy us bringing you all the latest news here.