Stanzel’s Sports Takeout — BREAKING NEWS: 8.5.24
SPOILER ALERT - next paragraph includes early morning Suni Lee and Simone Biles result.
Neither Suni nor Simone medaled in the balance beam early this morning, each falling off the beam and coming well short of the podium. It cost Suni Lee a seventh Olympic medal. It was a magnificent routine up until that point for Lee, who was still all smiles after the fact. While it’s almost certain that Biles will not be back in L.A. in 2028, it will be interesting to see what Lee decides, with all her body has been through. Only two female U.S. gymnasts ever have more Olympic medals than Lee. Biles has one event left, the floor exercise final tomorrow along with Jordan Chiles.
Vikings open pre-season at home Saturday against the Raiders.
No NSFW pole vault videos here, sorry.
North Carolina’s Kenzie Carson with the four inning perfect game at the Little League Softball World Series.
Four Things I Loved Watching in Paris
Noah Lyles is the fastest man alive, after an incredible photo finish victory over Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson in the 100 meter final yesterday. It sure looked like Thompson won live but Lyles’ chest - the official measuring stick - just grazed the line first, some five thousands of a second ahead of his rival’s. Nine hundredths of a second between first and seventh. How good was this 100? The seventh place finisher would have medaled in 2016 or 2020. Lyles is the first American man to win gold in the 100 in 20 years.
Simone Biles is the best gymnast that’s ever lived, but Suni Lee has shown a clutch gene few others have. Biles is often far ahead of the competition. Lee scratched and clawed her way to a sixth medal in three years yesterday, earning just enough on the uneven bars to take the bronze. Uneven bars are Suni’s best event, yet her level of difficulty is below many others. She knew she couldn’t reach the gold or silver when she took to the mat - the last gymnast to compete. But as she’s done just about every time (this morning notwithstanding), she knows what she has to do, and does it.
I missed out this week and didn’t watch much golf (most start times were around 4 a.m.). Let me tell you, if on a weekly basis, the PGA Tour only paid out to the top three you’d see some amazing golf like you saw in Paris. To no one’s surprise, Scottie Scheffler matched a course-record, nine-under 62 to take the gold on a day he began the round down by four shots and was behind by six early in the day. Great Britain’s Tommy Fleetwood got the silver, with Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama taking the bronze.
Bobby Fink saved the men’s swimming team from failing to hoist a gold medal at The Olympics for the first time since 1900 (not including the 1980 boycott), winning the men’s 1,500 in world record time. The future of men’s swimming doesn’t appear to be American, with an aging core.
Three Things I Can’t Wait to Watch from Paris
Semifinal day in beach volleyball, with two women’s teams and two men’s teams competing, including former Timberwolves player Chase Budinger.
U.S. men’s hoops 3X3 flamed out miserably, and the women struggled to start before finding their way. The women play in the semifinals against Spain this morning, with a spot in either the gold or bronze medal game later today on the line. Halley Van Lith, who starred at LSU and is transferring to LSU this season, is one of the Americans. People are quickly noticing the difference in the 3X3 versus 5X5 games.
The U.S. women’s soccer team takes on Germany on Tuesday with a spot in the gold medal game on the line. The USWNT hasn’t won gold since 2012.
Twins Send White Sox to 20th Straight Loss
The Twins swept the White Sox at Target Field, sending Chicago to its 18th, 19th and 20th straight losses. No matter how bad you feel about your own sports team, it could always be worse.
Royce Lewis homered in the first and last games of the series, both blasts setting the tone early on. Friday’s game was close until the Twins scored six times in the eighth. I’d stuck around hoping to see Jhoan Duran’s entrance live, but that didn’t happen since it suddenly became a non save situation.
Can the Twins keep it going against a ho-hum Cubs team at Wrigley beginning tonight? Oughta be a good Twins crowd in Chicago this week. The Guardians come to town for four this weekend, if the Twins (currently 4.5 games back) have any thoughts of catching them in the Central.
Loons Eliminated from Leagues Cup
Despite not playing, MNUFC was eliminated and failed to move onto the round of in the Leagues Cup, thanks to Nexaca’s win over Seattle last night.
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