Tokyo Olympics

5 to Watch: UConn Front & Center; Kieran Smith Fails to Place

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The U.S. women's basketball team that includes our huge UConn contingent defeated Nigeria on Tuesday to continue the team's Olympic wins. Simone Biles will have her first chance at a gold medal in Tokyo, and Connecticut's own Kieran Smith took another shot at earning a medal in the pool, but fell short.

U.S. women’s basketball team defeats Nigeria for 50th straight Olympic win

The U.S. women’s basketball team has defeated Nigeria for its 50th straight Olympic win!

A’ja Wilson led Team USA to a win by scoring 19 points. Brittney Griner was the second-leading scorer for the U.S. with 13 points.

2020 WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson led Team USA women’s basketball to a win over Nigeria.

UConn greats like Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Tina Charles, Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier also helped the U.S. take home the win. The final score of the game was 81 to 72.

The team surprisingly stumbled going into the Games, dropping exhibitions against the WNBA All-Stars and Australia earlier this month, but the team was still an overwhelming favorite to win gold.

You can watch a replay of the game here.

Puerto Rico Pride From New London to Tokyo

UConn doesn't have a monopoly on women's basketball players with Connecticut ties competing in the Tokyo Olympics. New London's India Pagan played Tuesdayfor Team Puerto Rico.

Pagan is a 2017 graduate of Marine Science Magnet High School, but she played her basketball with New London High School, where she was an all-state player who ended her high school career with more than 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. She went on to star at Stony Brook.

The 22-year-old center and Team Puerto Rico will make their Olympic debut in Tokyo.

Puerto Rico took on China in its first game Tuesday, losing 55 to 97. The game streamed live here.

Ridgefield's Kieran Smith misses the podium this time

Swimming - Olympics: Day 2
Clive Rose
TOKYO, JAPAN - JULY 25: Kieran Smith of Team United States poses with the bronze medal for the Men's 400m Freestyle Final on day two of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre on July 25, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Kieran Smith came in third in the men's 400m freestyle Saturday night, and we had eyes on him in the semifinals for the men's 200m freestyle after finishing with the second best time.

He missed the podium in the men's 200m freestyle final, finishing sixth with a time of 1:45.12.

Swimmers Lilly King and Ryan Murphy were also looking to defend their Olympic crowns on Monday night.

King raced in the final for the women's 100m breaststroke, an event where she set the world record in 2017.

Lydia Jacoby won gold in the 100m breaststroke while teammate Lilly King took home the bronze medal.

With a time of 1:05.54, King earned a bronze medal in the event. Fellow American Lydia Jacoby won gold with a time of 1:04.95 and South Africa's Tatjana Schoenmaker is taking home the silver.

Ryan Murphy finished third in the men's 100m backstroke, taking home the bronze medal.

Murphy, on the other hand, set the world record in the men’s 100m backstroke at the 2016 Rio Olympics. With a time of 52.19, Murphy also earned a bronze medal.

Russian Olympic Committee athlete Evgeniy Rylov is taking home gold with a time of 51.98 and ROC athlete Kliment Kolesnikov won silver with a time of 52.00.

Regan Smith of Team USA claimed bronze in the women’s 100m backstroke on Monday, while Australia’s Kaylee McKeown won gold and set a new Olympic record.

The women’s 100m backstroke was also an intriguing final after the Olympic record was broken in three consecutive heats on Sunday. Canadian Kylie Masse and American teenager Regan Smith each owned the record for exactly one heat before Australian Kaylee McKeown raised the bar in the final race.

In the finals, McKeown placed first with a time of 57.47, Masse placed second with a time of 57.72 and Smith placed third with a time of 58.05.

The semifinal races for the women’s 200m freestyle, men’s 200m butterfly, and women’s 200m individual medley were also on Monday night.

You can watch all the action again here.

Simone Biles out, USA Gymnastics takes silver

Simone Biles of Team United States competes on vault during Women's Qualification on day two of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
Getty Images
TOKYO, JAPAN - JULY 25: Simone Biles of Team United States competes on vault during Women's Qualification on day two of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Gymnastics Centre on July 25, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

The GOAT of gymnastics, Simone Biles, will not be competing in the remaining events in the women's gymnastics team finals in Tokyo.

Simone Biles earned the top all-around score in qualifying, but appeared to suffer an injury in her first event, the vault, and it was announced that she would not be competing in the remaining events in the women's gymnastics team finals.

In this video, Biles can be seen leaving the team final after the vault.

Team USA finished with an overall score of 170.562 in qualifying, good for second place behind the Russian Olympic Committee’s 171.629. China, France and Belgium finished qualifying in third, fourth and fifth, respectively.

Simone Biles is on track for another exciting Olympic run in 2021. Here are all the records she could break in Tokyo.

Biles was to join 20-year-old Jordan Chiles, 18-year-old Suni Lee and 18-year-old Grace McCallum in the team event. Lee finished third in qualifying with an all-around score of 57.166, while McCallum and Chiles finished 13th and 40th, respectively.

The U.S. gymnastics team took silver in the women's team event.

Watch the women’s gymnastics team final live on the Olympic channel. You can stream full coverage here or see the Team USA tracker here.

Come sail away

The sailing events are underway at the Tokyo Olympics and on Monday, Connecticut College grad Maggie Shea made her Olympic debut. Shea and her skipper, Stephanie Roble, sailed in the 49er FX class events.

The pair came in third in their first race, second in their second race and 14th in their third race. They will race again on Wednesday morning.

Born in Illinois, Shea came to Connecticut College in New London to sail in collegiate events. She served as team captain and was recognized as an All-American Honorable Mention, according to her bio on the U.S. Sailing website.

You can catch the races again anytime here.

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