Olympics, Day 10: Crazy Dives, and Not Just in the Pool
Day 10 at the Olympics was a wild one, with 46mph gusts of wind during the men’s 3m springboard preliminaries, Simone Biles faltering on the beam (but still earning bronze behind the USA’s silver medalist, Laurie Hernandez, who appealed her score to no avail), France’s Wilhem Belocian false-starting in his 110m hurdles heat, and the Bahamas’ Shaunae Miller diving across the finish line of the women’s 400m to defeat the USA’s Allyson Felix, who still became the most decorated American woman in Olympic track and field history.
DID YOU SEE THIS FINISH?!@Hey_ItsShaunae dives to beat out @AllysonFelix in the 400m. https://t.co/LJf9pvPIbV https://t.co/o3SIQikYeP
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) August 16, 2016
Let’s start with Miller. First of all, some people, like Michael Johnson, think Miller had no choice.
Shaunae Miller’s dive was to recover from falling. Sprinters know the quickest way across the line is a well timed lean. Trust me on that.
— Michael Johnson (@MJGold) August 16, 2016
Others, including Lolo Jones, support her even if she did.
Ppl are mad Miller won with a dive but most pro’s at one point have used that tactic to win. Miller didn’t cheat Allyson, she won fair.
— Lolo Jones (@lolojones) August 16, 2016
Which side are you on? The move was legal, so why shouldn’t she have done all she could to secure a gold medal at the Olympics? Or is it not the way you should want to be remembered?
Would your answer change if it were an athlete from your country?
2008: #USA‘s Neville dove past #BAH‘s Brown for #bronze.
2016: #BAH‘s Miller dove past #USA‘s Felix for #gold. https://t.co/sGnvreZNVJ
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) August 16, 2016
If that loss is painful to watch, here’s Belocian’s false start.
Heartbreaking.
Wilhem Belocian false starts in his first Olympics.
For more: https://t.co/LJf9pvPIbV https://t.co/vltRj5kvgV
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) August 16, 2016
On to gymnastics, Biles recovered well from her misstep on the beam.
Even with a costly miss, @Simone_Biles earned a #bronze medal in the beam exercise! More: https://t.co/GC8JvF1EcN https://t.co/bN252kpT73
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) August 16, 2016
Hernandez, who would later try to appeal how the judges scored her start value, walked through the door Biles left open. The Netherlands’ Sanne Wevers earned gold, the first medal for her country in women’s gymnastics.
.@lzhernandez02, you got this!
Her clutch routine earned silver on the beam. More: https://t.co/GC8JvF1EcN https://t.co/178yEndtCs
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) August 16, 2016
To the pool… The U.S.’s Kristian Ipsen and Michael Hixon had no problem advancing in the 3m springboard. Ipsen trains outside all the time, and both divers had gone to a training camp in Brazil, where they’d practiced in windy conditions. Reigning Olympic gold medalist Ilya Zakharov of Russia, on the other hand, was thrown off his game entirely after hitting his feet on the board during his first dive. He battled back into the last qualifying spot, 18th. The 2015 world champion, China’s He Chao, was rattled enough by the conditions that he’s out.
Here’s Malaysian diver Ahmad Amsyar Azman showing the nerves.
Malaysian diver Ahmad Amsyar Azman had a tough night during the 3m springboard preliminary. https://t.co/o5DoHf41wu https://t.co/RbaoD7oWEm
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) August 16, 2016
A few of the many other highlights from Day 10:
Kenya’s David Rudisha defended his 800m gold (while the U.S.’s Clayton Murphy earned bronze).
.@rudishadavid defends his #Gold in the 800m, becoming the first man to repeat since 1964. https://t.co/LJf9pvPIbV https://t.co/bf01kC1TPR
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) August 16, 2016
Bravo to Rudisha for this as well.
“Everything I’m doing…comes from my roots.” – @RudishaDavid goes for a 2nd 800m gold now. https://t.co/LJf9pvPIbV https://t.co/hfPxVCfMHF
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) August 16, 2016
Brazil’s Thiago Braz da Silva won pole vault gold (the U.S.’s Sam Kendricks took silver).
Brazil’s Thiago Braz da Silva defies gravity to set a record & clinch gold in the pole vault https://t.co/LJf9pvPIbV https://t.co/3VCm3JS1km
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) August 16, 2016
Poland’s Anita Wlodarczyk made us all care about the hammer throw.
Wow. @AnitaWlodarczyk of Poland breaks her own hammer throw world record to win #Gold! https://t.co/LJf9pvPIbV https://t.co/AG4azMWOIe
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) August 15, 2016
We’re still not quite sure what steeplechase is, but we’re happy the U.S.’s Emma Coburn got the bronze.
.@EmmaJCoburn becomes the first woman in #USA #Olympic history to medal in the steeplechase! https://t.co/LJf9pvPIbV https://t.co/BEn8cewkHa
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) August 15, 2016
Check out the nasty finish of the open water marathon…
The 2-hour open water marathon came down to a photo finish, and resulted in a DQ.
Read more https://t.co/s2q2fE3FAS https://t.co/UZEA8YfsMT
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) August 15, 2016
And the best music in the synchronized-swimming duets…
Anna Are You Ok? #AUT‘s Anna-Maria & Eirini-Marina Alexandri perform to “Smooth Criminal” https://t.co/v1tElYJ6Uj https://t.co/UYXnO6uzmq
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) August 15, 2016
And the best music in dressage…
???? Oh it’s a trot one ???? https://t.co/JBbRtQ7vfS https://t.co/7BWwcTnjRj
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) August 15, 2016
Brazil’s Alison and Bruno knocked out the U.S.’s Dalhausser and Lucena in beach volleyball, but the U.S. women’s water polo team defeated Brazil to advance.
#USA beat #BRA 13-3, the HIGHEST-EVER margin for an Olympic knockout women’s Water Polo game https://t.co/U7N0OrR4zh https://t.co/CY8LSvSXt2
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) August 15, 2016