Monday night brought us a jam-packed slate of Tokyo Olympic action. First, the A-Team -- the American duo of April Ross and Alix Klineman -- continued its quest for Olympic gold with a 21-19, 21-19 win over Germany in the beach volleyball quarterfinal. Then, Kevin Durant scored 29 points while Damian Lillard had 11 points, four rebounds and four assists as the U.S. men's basketball team beat Spain 95-81 to reach the Olympic semifinals.
Meanwhile on the track, American Rai Benjamin broke the previous world record in the 400-meter hurdles but was outdone by Norway's Karsten Warholm, who became the first person to break 46 seconds in the event.
Wow! @kwarholm 45.94! That's breaking his own world record by .76 seconds. One of the most impressive performances ever in the history of the sport! #Olympics #OlympicGames
β Michael Johnson (@MJGold) August 3, 2021
On Tuesday morning, Simone Biles made her return and earned a bronze in the balance beam. Also, Team USA continued to dominate on the track. Erriyon Knighton, the 17-year-old star, zoomed into the 200-meter final along with fellow American Noah Lyles. Athing Mu, 19, won gold in the 800-meter final.
Olympics medal tracker | Schedule
As always, we have you covered with all the Tokyo action you might have missed:
Springsteen out of individual show jumping final
Just one down for Jessica Springsteen and Don Juan van de Donkhoeve at the #TokyoOlympics. #TeamUSA pic.twitter.com/FJXi3XX9j2
β US Equestrian (@USequestrian) August 3, 2021
Jessica Springsteen (yes, daughter of that Springsteen) fell short of qualifying for the Olympic individual show jumping finals at Tokyo's Equestrian Park on Tuesday. The 29-year-old's Olympic debut was strong save for her mount Don Juan van de Donkhoeve knocking down one rail, which cost her 4 faults. She'll ride again Friday night as part of America's four-rider entry in the jumping team event.
Nilsen soars to silver
Jumped for π₯@ChrisNilsen2 soars to pole vault silver. #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/AhfMHcL02V
β Team USA (@TeamUSA) August 3, 2021
Three-time NCAA champion Chris Nilsen can add "Olympic silver medalist" to his already stacked rΓ©sumΓ©. Nilsen clinched the second spot by clearing a height of 5.97 meters (19.58 feet), which is more than an inch better than the University of South Dakota school record height of 19.46 feet he set last season. Nilsen's silver-medal finish is the highest by an American since 2004.
Mensah-Stock is golden
"It means that they see someone like themselves on that podium" - @MensahTamStock, on what it means for young girls watching her gold medal win πππ#TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/k4B57r8ou0
β On Her Turf (@OnHerTurf) August 3, 2021
That's Olympic champion Tamyra Mensah-Stock, to you. The U.S. wrestler captured gold by defeating Blessing Oborududu of Nigeria 4-1. She is the first American Black woman and the second American woman overall to accomplish the feat.
Gold for Athing Mu
GOLD AND BRONZE!!!!@athiiing wins π₯ and sets a pending new American record in the women's 800m in 1:55.21, and @TheROYALlife21 ran a brilliantly strategic (and personal best) 1:56.81 to clinch π₯! #TeamUSATF #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/kUflawkezN
β USATF (@usatf) August 3, 2021
Athing Mu won the women's 800-meter race and is just the second American woman to win the event. Mu is the first since Madeline Manning in 1968. At the age of 19, Mu is the second-youngest male or female winner of the Olympic 800-meters.
Read more: 'Eat or be eaten' -- Mu is here for stardom
Historic feat for Thompson-Herah
Elaine Thompson-Herah completes the double-double! π₯
β #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) August 3, 2021
She wins the women's 100m and 200m. #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/e6wu5eezFs
Jamaican Elaine Thompson-Herah won gold in the women's 200 meters after winning gold in the 100m earlier in the games. She completed the sweep in the 100 and 200m in consecutive Olympic Games.
The only male or female to complete the 100m/200m sweep in consecutive games is fellow Jamaican Usain Bolt, who did so in three consecutive games (2008, '12, '16). She also joins Usain Bolt as the only track athletes to win the 200m in consecutive games.
American Gabby Thomas won the bronze in the 200.
From studying neurobiology at Harvard to winning bronze in the women's 200m at the Olympics π₯
β SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 3, 2021
Gabby Thomas is incredible π pic.twitter.com/rX6GSzzd47
Americans flying on the track
.@ErriyonK is 17 years old and an Olympic finalist in the 200m. π³ @usatf x #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/KTdxVdxbGB
β Team USA (@TeamUSA) August 3, 2021
WHAT A FINISH!@LylesNoah will head to the 200m final. #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/2PFcYtvn5m
β #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) August 3, 2021
.@Flaamingoo_ flyin' 𦩠@usatf x #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/WiLjUvHGoF
β Team USA (@TeamUSA) August 3, 2021
Warholm shatters world record
Rai Benjamin running a 46.17 in the 400-meter hurdles broke the old world record, but in a battle between two of the best 400-meter hurdles racers on the planet, it was only good enough for silver. Norway's Karsten Warholm ran an even better race, setting the new world record in 45.94 seconds for a gold medal. Brazil's Alison dos Santos picked up the bronze medal.
When you break your own world record. #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/E9FVwco02Q
β #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) August 3, 2021
Karsten Warholm's 400m hurdles world record (45.94 seconds) would have won him gold at this year's British Championships... over the flat 400m.
β Ben Bloom (@benbloomsport) August 3, 2021
USA Basketball storms back to reach semis
Behind Kevin Durant's 29 points, the U.S. men's basketball team advanced to the Olympic semifinals with a 95-81 win over Spain on Tuesday.
The U.S. trailed 40-29 midway through the second quarter before a 29-7 run spanning two quarters put the Americans up 58-47. They will play the winner of Australia and Argentina in Thursday's semifinal (12:15 a.m. ET).
Spain, which was led by a career-high 38 points from Ricky Rubio, was eliminated.
KD, SOARING DOWN THE LANE. #TokyoOlympics x @TeamUSA
β #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) August 3, 2021
Watch @USABasketball on @peacockTV: https://t.co/f0j91aoEXP pic.twitter.com/mOklwQh2XH
France defeated Italy in the morning's third semifinal. France will face Luka Doncic and Slovenia in one semifinal. The United States will face the winner of the morning's final quarterfinal: Australia vs. Argentina.
Felix returns to form
Allyson Felix, competing in her fifth and final Olympic appearance, won her heat in the 400-meter race in 50.84 seconds. Jamaica's Roneisha McGregor and the Czech Republic's Lada VondrovΓ‘ tied for the second spot at 51.14, also qualifying for the semifinals, which begin at 6:30 a.m. ET on Wednesday.
ALLYSON FELIX
β #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) August 3, 2021
In her FIFTH Olympic Games, @allysonfelix cruises to the finish line to win her preliminary heat in the women's 400m. #TokyoOlympics
πΊ NBC
π» https://t.co/ZOFdXC4e4u
π± NBC Sports App pic.twitter.com/J0lGDBm6MP
"They're just proud of me, just for making it."@allysonfelix on the support she has from her husband Kenny and her daughter Cammy in competing at her fifth Olympic Games. #TokyoOlympics
β #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) August 3, 2021
πΊ NBC
π» https://t.co/ZOFdXC4e4u
π± NBC Sports App pic.twitter.com/pX6f9aGYrI
American men show out
Youth Olympic Games and world champion Noah Lyles, who didn't make the cut to Rio 2016, is off to a strong start for his first Olympic gold medal in the men's 200 meters at Tokyo. In his first race at the Tokyo Olympics, Lyles, 24, who is the fourth-fastest man in this event, cruised into the semifinals (scheduled for 7:50 a.m. ET on Tuesday), finishing first in his heat at 20.18. Eswatini's Sibusiso Matsenjwa finished second in the heat, followed by Ghana's Joseph Amoah.
THE SPEED β‘οΈ@TeamUSA's @LylesNoah wins his 200m heat and is headed to semifinals. #TokyoOlympics
β #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) August 3, 2021
πΊ NBC
π» https://t.co/ZOFdXC4e4u
π± NBC Sports App pic.twitter.com/rMUJgBt1od
Lyles didn't have the fastest time in the preliminary round, though. USA's Kenny Bednarek finished first in his heat with a 20.01 time.
.@KennyBednarek runs away with the win in his 200m heat and advances to the semis π¨@TeamUSA x #TokyoOlympics
β #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) August 3, 2021
πΊ NBC
π» https://t.co/ZOFdXC4e4u
π± NBC Sports App pic.twitter.com/QuALfeM2ne
A-Team to semis
The U.S. beach volleyball duo of April Ross and Alix Klineman, otherwise known as the A-Team, defeated Germany's Laura Ludwig and Margareta Kozuch in straight sets to advance to Thursday's semifinal. The gold-medal match will be on Friday.
.@AprilRossBeach and @alixklineman secure the win for @TeamUSA!
β #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) August 3, 2021
The A-Team has advanced to the women's semifinal. #TokyoOlympics
πΊ NBC
π» https://t.co/ZOFdXC4e4u
π± NBC Sports App pic.twitter.com/7zVJyDfyCO
Late leap gives Germany gold
Team USA's Brittney Reese had a gold medal snatched away from her grasp in the women's long jump when Germany's Malaika Mihambo jumped 7.00 meters in her final attempt. Reese, a gold medalist in London and silver medalist in Rio, jumped 6.97 meters. Nigeria's Ese Brume won bronze.
#GER's Malaika Mihambo is Olympic champion!
β Olympics (@Olympics) August 3, 2021
A huge jump of 7.00m earns her the gold medal in the women's long jump - Germany's first athletics gold of #Tokyo2020!@WorldAthletics #Athletics @TeamD pic.twitter.com/vXkvQ0UvA2