The GOAT gave it a go on the last induvial event of women’s gymnastics at the Tokyo Olympics.
While Simone Biles headlined the action at the Tokyo Olympics, another individual also drew attention: Jessica Springsteen — Bruce Springsteen’s daughter — made her equestrian debut.
The U.S. men’s basketball team started the knockout round with a win over a tough Spain team, while sport climbing made its Olympic debut.
Here are 5 to watch.
Simone Biles returns to Olympic competition looking for gold on balance beam
Simone Biles made a dazzling return to the Olympic stage — and Olympic podium — on Tuesday.
The GOAT of gymnastics won a bronze medal in the balance beam final after missing a full week of competition in Tokyo.
On her routine, Biles scored a 14.000 — 7.900 execution and 6.100 difficulty — just behind China’s duo of Guan Chenchen (14.633) and Tang Xijing (14.233).
Her first and only medal of the Tokyo Olympics, Biles now has seven career medals, tied with Shannon Miller for the most in American women’s gymnastics history. It’s the second straight bronze on the balance beam for Biles.
Jessica Springsteen makes equestrian jumping debut
Jessica Springsteen, the daughter of rock icon Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa of the E Street Band, made her Olympic debut Tuesday in the individual jumping qualifiers but failed to secure a spot in the finals.
The 29-year-old equestrian and her horse, Don Juan van de Donkhoeve, picked up a late infraction after knocking down a rail that cost her four penalty points. Springsteen finished highest ranked among the Americans competing in the jumping, coming in 36th among the 73 entrants. Only the top 30 riders advance to the individual finals, set to take place on Wednesday at 6 a.m. ET.
Fellow American teammate Laura Kraut, riding Baloutinue, and Kent Farrington, with Gazelle, also failed to qualify. Scores from the qualifying round do not carry over.
In Olympic jumping, riders guide their horses over fences around 1.5m (5 feet) tall. They incur four faults for every fence that is knocked down, as well as one time fault per four seconds over the time allowed. In the final, if multiple riders incur no faults, there will be a jump-off. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, six riders had clear rounds and faced off in a shorter round of jumps to decide the medals in one of the most thrilling finishes ever at an Olympic equestrian event.
Team USA beats Spain in men’s basketball quarterfinals
On to the medal round. The U.S. men’s basketball team took on one of their stiffest tests of the Tokyo Olympics, facing Spain in the men’s basketball quarterfinal.
Team USA passed that test by defeating the Ricky Rubio-led squad 95-81 to advance to the semifinals.
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Kevin Durant led the way for Team USA.
The USA now faces Australia, which beat Argentina in the quarterfinals. Australia (3-0) defeated the U.S. in an exhibition game on July 12.
Sport Climbing makes its Olympic Debut
Sport climbing made its Olympic Tuesday.
There are three disciplines in Olympic sport climbing: Bouldering, Speed, and Lead. Each participant must compete in all three, and a winner is determined by multiplying a competitor’s placement in the various disciplines. The lowest score wins gold. Because each competitor must compete in all three disciplines, each climber must have a combination of speed, flexibility, and endurance if they wish to reach the podium.
Team USA’s hopes of for gold in sport climbing’s Olympic debut rest on Colin Duffy and Nathaniel Coleman who qualified for Thursday’s final.
Women’s water polo takes care of Canada in quarterfinal
It wasn’t a “duel in the pool” between two North American powerhouses. The United States blew Canada out of the water in a jaw-dropping 16-5 quarterfinal bloodbath at the Tatsumi Water Polo Centre.
The match was basically over by the end of the first quarter, with the U.S. up 7-1. Team USA added four more points in the second and, after a silent third, tacked on an additional five.
Princeton University’s Ashleigh Johnson and her U.S. teammates now play either Australia or the Russian Olympic Committee in the semifinals.