Games thoughts after 10 days

The USA is having a good Olympics so far. Although, the number of gold medals won has been on the lower side. I had predicted 41 gold medals and 106 total medals and after 10 days the USA is on a pace for 33-36 gold medals and well over 106 medals won, as I had predicted. They are on pace for 115-120 medals won.  I do have the order of the 3 top medal winning countries in order after 10 days. That is the USA. followed by China and then France. the USA has 71 total medals, China has 45 total medals and France has 44 total medals. For a while France was in second place in the medal standings with China in 3rd place. 

Some of my predictions in individual medals and team medals are yet to be determined but after 10 days I may predict now, the USA will possibly medal in indoor volleyball, with the men's team having more of a chance to medal, the women's indoor volleyball team, while good, has had a few problems closing out matches and has had a few 5 set matches but looked better in their last match vs France, where they won 3 sets to none. The women's team had several changes, Jordan Larson and Kelsey Robinson Cook were swapped out in the second set vs China in favor of Kathryn Plummer and Avery Skinner. This is probably the last Olympics for Jordan Larson who came out of retirement after the Tokyo games to play for team USA.

USA swimming has some excellent athletes but a few may be either in a very slow decline or just had a bad Olympics. Katie Ledecky is the goat of women's swimming and is great at long distance swim events but may have lost a step or two in her swimming stroke. Lilly King is in this category but this probably was her last Olympics. Caeleb Dressel either had a subpar Olympics or might be losing a step or two in his swimming strokes. The USA did beat rival Australia in total gold medals 8 to 7 and total medals 28-18. 

Beach volleyball through the first 10 days has been good, all 4 beach volleyball teams are still alive. I still think Kloth/Nuss will win gold but their opponent may just be their USA rivals Cheng/Hughes. Not sure the men's teams will make it to a medal match but on paper Partain/Benesh could win a bronze medal, as I predicted.  Chris Marlowe is one of the best announcers around. and will have to wait until 2028 to hear him call beach volleyball matches after these games. New phrase: Patrolling like a sand panther!

USA Gymnastics have proven redemption on the women's side, Simone Biles performed better than Tokyo and completely recovered from mental lapses in Tokyo, Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey performed better than expected as they won team gold but not including Hezly Rivera in just one event was disappointing. On the men's side. Stephen Nedoroscik was spectacular on pommel horse, helping this men's team win a bronze team medal. men's gymnastics team final was filled with emotion as everyone on the USA men's team showed lots of emotion after their great performances in the team final.

USA soccer is in the semifinals with this young team with hopes of a gold medal and are playing well. Men's USA soccer has been eliminated in the knockout round. 

Track and Field just started but I can say now that men's 100 final was the best I have ever seen as the field was so closely packed at the finish. Noah Lyles won by 5 thousandth of a second to win gold. The Repechage round is something new, Instead of time qualifiers, the runners from 200-1500 meters go to a repechage round, a second chance to qualify for the next round. Several Jamaican athletes like Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce and Shericka Jackson withdrew from their events, opening the door for new champions. 

I am impressed with the loudness of the swimming venue, beach volleyball venue and track and field stadium at the Paris games. Everyone in the stands are having so much fun! the emotion of both athletes and fans alike is contagious. 

Lastly, all of these events of sports I follow are on at the same time and it makes the Olympics very hard to watch. I watch from 8 am to 11 pm every day and now that will get even earlier because one can't watch 3 hours of track and field at 4 am to 7 am, diving at 5 am then watch beach volleyball on at 9 am, track and field/swimming on between noon and 4 pm with another beach volleyball match on at 4 pm. mix that in with a 7am or 3pm indoor volleyball match and or a men's/women's basketball game and its a recipe for complete madness, I also watch prime time for events i cant watch during the day. I DVR and save certain events as well to watch. I follow indoor volleyball, beach volleyball, women's soccer, men's and women's basketball, diving, swimming, track and field and gymnastics. One more week of the games to go!