Olympic quick hits: Egyptian star’s incredible pregnancy reveal, Chinese gold medallist’s moment ruined by photographers, and Coco Gauff’s dream ends in tears

Kaylee McKeown had her crowning moment in the pool, while Australia’s next generation of relay swimmers claimed a bronze, but it was also a day filled with heartbreak for the Aussies as the women’s sevens team crashed out. 

Elsewhere in Paris, an Egyptian Olympic star made an incredible pregnancy reveal shortly after competing, a Chinese gold medallist’s moment was ruined by overzealous photographers, and Coco Gauff’s Olympic dream ended in tears after an umpire run-in.

Here are the quick hits from day four of the 2024 Games.

1. Kaylee McKeown reigns supreme in the 100m backstroke final

For 12 months leading up to the Paris Olympics, Australia’s Kaylee McKeown and American young gun Regan Smith had pushed each other to new heights.

After settling for the bronze medal as a 19-year-old in Tokyo three years ago, Smith took her game to new heights, coming into Paris as the world record holder in the 100-metre backstroke.

ABC Sport is live blogging every day of the Paris Olympics

McKeown, the reigning Olympic champion in the event, was considered an underdog by many coming into the race due to the frightening marker Smith set at the US Olympic trials last month.

The Aussie star looked in trouble early on, before storming home with a blistering second lap to set a new Olympic record, letting Smith and the rest of her rivals know that she’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

“The nerves were definitely there, but I just reminded myself it’s a pool in a different venue and I train every single day of my life,” McKeown said after her thrilling win, where she also paid tribute to her late father. 

“I knew it would come down to that last 25 metres.

“It’s something that I’ve been practising for and it’s something that the Americans and myself are really good at, finishing our races strong.

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“So it was going to be whoever had it in that last five, 10 metres.”

McKeown and Smith shared a heartfelt hug across their lanes following the race.

“She is an absolutely incredible racer and she knows what to do when it matters,” Smith said of her Aussie rival. “But I’m really proud of myself.”

2. Coco Gauff’s Olympic dream ends in tears after a controversial call

Gauff made a controversial third-round exit from the tennis at Roland Garros, going down 7-6 (7), 6-2 to Croatia’s Donna Vekic after a massive blow-up with the umpires following a controversial call in the second set. 

During a break point, Vekic’s return landed close to the baseline and a line judge initially called the shot as out. Gauff’s ensuing shot hit the net and chair umpire Jaume Campistol awarded the point to the Croat, ruling the ball was in and the call of out did not impact the American’s swing. 

As Vekic took a 4-2 lead, a dispute ensued, which eventually required a referee on-court.

“He called it out before I hit it so I went up on the ball,” Gauff said on the broadcast. 

“This isn’t fair. He called it out before I hit the ball. If he called it out before I hit it, it affects the swing.”

Gauff was eventually brought to tears saying, “I have to always advocate for myself on this court all the time.”

“I feel like I’m getting cheated on constantly in this game. And then you guys apologise afterwards, you guys say, ‘I’m sorry,’ but what does that do for me in the match?

“You guys are not fair to me. I hope that one day the game becomes fair, but it’s not.”

The 20-year-old was a flag-bearer for the USA, and as second seed was expected to contend for a medal. She’s still scheduled to play in the women’s and mixed doubles. 

3. Egyptian star’s incredible Olympic pregnancy reveal

Egypt’s Nada Hafez put in a strong effort in the women’s individual sabre, making it to the last 16 of the competition. 

But afterwards, Hafez made the stunning announcement that she was seven months pregnant. 

“What appears to you as two players on the podium, they were actually three! It was me, my competitor and my yet-to-come to our little world, little baby!” Hafez said in an Instagram post. 

“My baby and I had our fair share of challenges, be it both physical and emotional.

“The rollercoaster of pregnancy is tough on its own, but having to fight to keep the balance of life and sports was nothing short of strenuous, however worth it.”

Hafez defeated the USA’s Elizabeth Tartakovsky in the first round before going down to Jeon Hayoung of South Korea at at the Grand Palais. 

The 26-year old is competing at her third Olympics. 

4. Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray stay alive in the doubles

Tennis legends Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray both refuse to go quietly into the night in Paris. 

A day after his singles campaign was ended at the hands of Novak Djokovic, Nadal and Spanish teammate Carlos Alcaraz advanced into the doubles quarterfinals after prevailing in a thriller against Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor and Wesley Koolhof.

“A dream come true for me, playing on the same side of the net with Rafa, learning from him,” Alcaraz said. “It is unbelievable … I’m trying to enjoy my time with him.”

“We are trying to enjoy [ourselves] as much as possible. We are not doubles players, so we are not used to playing doubles. The only way to make that work well is to play with happiness, with energy and with high energy,” Nadal said.

“We have a good relationship outside the court, so that helps.”

Meanwhile, Murray sat crying on his chair after he and British partner Dan Evans saved two match points to advance, extending his career for at least another match.

Murray, who has announced he will retire after the Olympics, and Evans beat the Belgian pair of Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen 6-3, 6-7 (8), 11-9.

Murray and Evans saved five match points in their opening match. Against the Belgians, they trailed 9-7 in the match tiebreaker before winning four straight points.

Murray is a three-time grand slam singles champion and the only tennis player with two Olympic singles golds — from London in 2012 and Rio de Janeiro in 2016. His first Wimbledon championship, in 2013, made Murray the first man from Britain to win that trophy in 77 years.

Murray has dealt with a series of injuries in the latter stages of his career, including a hip replacement in 2019. Most recently, he needed surgery to remove a cyst from his spine last month.

5. Boomers neither boom nor bust

Australian men’s basketball exists in an endless push-pull — the gritty underdog happily exceeding expectations and the legitimate force that demands to be taken seriously. 

The Boomers could be proud of their efforts against a seriously talented Canada side, spearheaded by the dynamism of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the defensive grunt of Dillon Brooks and Luguentz Dort. A 93-83 point loss against such quality brings no shame. 

And yet, there was a telling response from Jock Landale when asked post-match if there was consolation to be drawn from playing a tight game against one of the benchmark teams of this Olympics. 

“No, mate,” Landale said bluntly.

“We’re one of those teams as well. We just didn’t get the job done tonight.” 

Boomers coach Brian Goorjian could be seen contorting in frustration toward the end of the match, as missed shots and turnovers increasingly hampered any chance of a late comeback. 

“I just made sure that the guys understood when they leave the dressing room, it’s not a game, it’s a tournament and our future in Paris lies in this next game coming up,” Goorjian said after the match.

That the Boomers could be disappointed in such a result says a lot about how far Australia’s men’s team has come in the global basketball landscape.

How they back up against Greece in two days time might say more about how far they still have to go, before they are classified as a legitimate force. 

6. Chinese table tennis star fumes as photographers ruin equipment

China’s 24-year-old table tennis player Wang Chuqin was overjoyed after securing his first Olympic gold medal alongside teammate Sun Yingsha.

But his elation soon turned to disbelief, anger and frustration when he discovered that his paddle — crucial for his singles and team events — had been damaged by excited photographers rushing to capture the moment.

Visibly upset, Wang tried to ask for an explanation. His coach tried to hug him in an effort to console him and ask him to stay calm.

Wang soon regained his composure despite the setback.

“At that moment, I lost control of my emotions a little. I couldn’t understand why the photographers would do that,” Wang said, still visibly affected by the incident.

“I guess they didn’t mean it. I can’t do anything now that it’s already happened. I believe I’ll still be able to play well with my backup bat. Maybe this is fate.”

Wang and his partner Sun, who have now claimed the mixed doubles gold medal that China missed out on in Tokyo, are among the most popular athletes in China with a loyal following.

Many fans expressed anger towards the photographers on China’s social media Weibo.

With little time to celebrate their victory, Wang is set to face Swedish player Truls Moregard in the men’s singles round of 32 and will compete against India in the team event starting August 6.

7. Japanese basketballers show height is just a number, almost stun France

Japan’s clash against France in the men’s basketball group stage showcased the tallest Olympic basketballer against the shortest.

French phenom Victor Wembanyama stands at 224cm and towered over all of Japan’s team, especially the two shortest men’s basketballers, the 167cm Yuki Togashi and the 172cm Yuki Kawamura.

Kawamura showed that you don’t need to be a seven-footer to be a dominant force on the basketball court, pouring in 29 points against the Olympic hosts, who needed a miracle to survive a massive upset.

France was on the brink of being beaten by Japan, trailing by four points in the dwindling seconds of the game, before guard Matthew Strazel was fouled by Kawamura on a made three-point basket. 

Strazel knocked down the free throw to send the game to overtime, before France eventually ousted Japan 94-90 after two overtime periods, with Wembanyama scoring eight points in the added time.

“Even though I know Matthew, it’s probably the best shot of his life. It’s always a chance to witness this kind of scenario,” Wembanyama said of his teammate’s miraculous shot. 

The NBA star was also full of praise for Japan after being pushed to the absolute brink.

“I don’t think we’ve experienced such a team,” Wembanyama said. “We have to give props, respect to this. They really know how to use their strength. We can learn from them.”

Rui Hachimura had 24 points for Japan before being ejected for his second unsportsmanlike foul early in the fourth quarter. Japan fell to 0-2 and is in danger of being eliminated with one group-stage game remaining.

8. Simone Biles reveals Team USA’s new nickname after winning gold

Simone Biles and the United States completed what was deemed a redemption tour by winning the gold medal in the women’s artistic team all-around event on Wednesday morning.

It was a stark contrast to the same event three years earlier at the Tokyo Games, where Biles stunned not only her US teammates, but everyone watching, by withdrawing during the final due to suffering a case of the “twisties”.

The 27-year-old took a two-year hiatus from competing before returning to the sport, and eventually the Olympic arena, through the help of her teammates and a therapist. 

Biles was in a jovial mood after capturing the gold medal, the fifth of her illustrious Olympic career, which made her the most decorated US Olympic gymnast of all time. 

The US women have been known to give their team nicknames at previous Games. The teams which won gold at the 2012 London Games and the 2016 Rio Games were dubbed the “Fierce Five” and the “Final Five”.

Following this year’s win, Aly Raisman, who captained the 2012 and 2016 teams, asked Biles, her teammate from Rio 2016, exactly what the nickname would be for this team.

Biles was initially reluctant to reveal the nickname, before her teammates implored her to “just abbreviate it”.

Eventually, the eight-time Olympic medallist revealed the nickname to be “F.A.A.F.O”, which stands for “F**k around and find out”.

9. A collapse for the ages sends Aussie women’s rugby sevens team home without a medal 

The women’s rugby sevens action on Wednesday morning proved just how quickly four years of preparation can come undone. 

Australia had been brilliant through the first two days of the competition and breezed through the first half of the semi-final against Canada. 

It seemed like a dream final against New Zealand was on the cards, until it wasn’t. 

The Aussies found themselves in tears after a stunning collapse in the second half, and then repeated it just hours later when a last-second try allowed the United States to claim the bronze medal in one of the biggest upsets in sevens history. 

“It’s a game of moments. And there’s probably a few things we would’ve loved to do differently but we can’t take that back,” Australian captain Charlotte Caslick conceded.

“It sucks. We played our hearts out that’s the beauty of sevens and sport — that’s why we play it.”

Usually coaches are able to keep things in perspective, even after most losses. This time, Australia’s coach Tim Walsh couldn’t put any positive spin on it for his players.

“They’re devastated. They’ve put a lot into it,” Walsh said after the match.

“Everyone is [devastated]. The staff are. But we got to hold our heads high. We came into this tournament to walk away without regret in terms of our preparation.

“Every single one of them have done that. So, they can be proud.

“They’re going to be disappointed obviously but I’m proud of them.”

ABC/AP/AAP