PARIS — Two American ladies squared up for a sword combat within the palace at nightfall. Each emerged with Olympic medals.

This, the Grand Palais within the middle of the French capital, was the stage for the ladies’s foil fencing matchup between Lee Kiefer, 30, and Lauren Scruggs, 21, the primary all-American fencing last since Beijing 2008.

Within the occasion, Kiefer — the defending champion and pre-tournament favourite — received 15-6 to retain the gold medal.

“There’s 1,000,000 completely different obstacles that occurred to make it so far,” she advised reporters afterward. “So getting by all this stuff that you could’t even predict is simply freaking cool and enjoyable.”

Scruggs’ silver makes her the primary Black American lady to win a person fencing medal and the second out LGBTQ athlete to get on the rostrum at these Video games.

“In sure communities, fencing is simply not a sport you do,” she advised NBC Information after her bout. “So I’d say to these individuals, who’re in these communities and who’re considering fencing: Do what you need to do … and comply with your ardour.”

She mentioned at a information convention that she hoped “extra individuals who appear like me really feel as if they’ve a spot within the sport.”

Requested how it might really feel if younger Black ladies had been watching her Sunday night time, she responded: “It will be sick” — very a lot utilizing the optimistic, slang model of the phrase.

The scene couldn’t have been any extra epic.

With the solar having solely simply set exterior, the fencing piste lay beneath the palace nave, a 150-foot vaulted dome held up by 6,000 tons of metal.

The group of 6,000 watched and whooped as Kiefer and Scruggs had been tracked by digicam, strolling collectively down the sweeping artwork nouveau staircase. Lastly they emerged into the auditorium, donning their fencers’ helmets — each adorned with the American flag.

Within the first couple of minutes, Scruggs put up an excellent combat and took a number of factors as she battled Kiefer.

However this shortly grew to become the David and Goliath match-up that the shape information predicted. Kiefer was capable of defeat Scruggs, getting 15 factors, inside the primary of three timed intervals, every lasting 3 minutes.

Their coaches bantered from the sidelines as they watched their athletes. And when the sport was over, their fencers embraced one another on the piste and swaddled themselves in American flags.

Kiefer’s gold means she joins Mariel Zagunis, who received in 2004 and 2008, as the one lady to win a number of fencing gold medals. It’s additionally the primary time since Zagunis defeated Sada Jacobson within the saber last of Beijing 2008 that two Individuals had been in a fencing last.

Now a four-time Olympian, she has cemented herself as a real large of the game. It’s a household affair: Her husband, her two siblings and each her mother and father are all fencers, and her dad was the captain of Duke’s fencing group.

As if changing into an Olympic legend by age 30 wasn’t sufficient, she can be a physician, having accomplished 2½ years of medical faculty.

For Scruggs, historical past was already made when she beat eventual bronze medalist Eleanor Harvey of Canada in a semifinal. 9 years Kiefer’s junior, she is a rising senior at Harvard College, which despatched eight fencers to the Olympics this 12 months.

Not content material with merely coaching for an Olympics, Scruggs can be a full-time wealth administration intern this summer season, describing the water cooler speak with co-workers who ask questions of how her after-hours coaching goes.

She bought into fencing following the instance of her older brother, whom their mother refused to let stop the game as a result of the household had already purchased all of the tools. He went on to fence for Columbia College.

Away from the piste, Kiefer and Scruggs have managed to take full benefit of their time in Paris. Kiefer went viral on TikTok for buying and selling pins with Steph Curry and A’ja Wilson through the opening ceremony.

Scruggs, in the meantime, mentioned in an interview this month that she was most excited for the Olympic gear and the sightseeing.

“I’m simply tremendous excited to be right here,” she advised reporters. “It’s been an honor. It’s a privilege.”

Alexander Smith reported from Paris and Raquel Coronell Uribe from Washington, D.C.

PARIS — Lee Kiefer received back-to-back gold medals in foil fencing and her teammate Lauren Scruggs took the silver Sunday to make historical past as the primary Black fencer to win an Olympic medal in a person ladies’s occasion for america.

Kiefer received 15-6 within the closing in opposition to Scruggs and celebrated by joyfully pirouetting down the piste. Figuring out the U.S. anthem would play after the ultimate it doesn’t matter what “took the strain off,” Kiefer stated.

The vocal crowd within the cavernous Grand Palais was an enormous distinction to the hushed, empty venue in Chiba, Japan, the place Kiefer received her first Olympic gold three years in the past underneath pandemic restrictions.

Kiefer devoted her win to Buckie Leach, who coached her to gold in Tokyo however died 20 days later in a bike accident. “He can be so completely happy for me,” she stated. “This one’s for him. I actually have a image of him on my wall within the village.”

Kiefer’s gold medal is the fifth in a person occasion for a U.S. fencer. She follows Mariel Zagunis in 2004 and 2008 as the one American fencers to win gold in the identical occasion twice.

“Mariel, who did it earlier than me, she has been supporting me and being a very vital particular person to maintain me feeling vital and seen and empowered these previous years, so I actually wish to thank her for being that particular person,” Kiefer stated.

There hadn’t been an all-U.S. closing in an Olympic fencing occasion since 2008, when Zagunis beat Sada Jacobson in saber as a part of an American podium sweep. Earlier than that, the final time it occurred was in 1904.

“I am positively extra completely happy than upset,” Scruggs stated. “I feel that it was surprising for me to be right here within the first place, so I do not even suppose I’ve had time to course of shedding, if I am being sincere. Simply surprising and simply tremendous grateful.”

It continues a speedy rise to the highest of world fencing for Scruggs, a 21-year-old Harvard scholar from Queens, New York.

“Perhaps two years in the past, I actually thought I may make the group, till final yr, I made my first senior group,” she stated. “So to come back out right here and medal is simply insane.”

Scruggs stated she desires to encourage younger Black fencers and present “that they’ve a spot within the sport.”

Kiefer is a part of a adorned Olympic energy couple.

Kiefer’s husband, Gerek Meinhardt, is a two-time Olympic bronze medalist in males’s foil who will compete in two occasions in Paris. Kiefer and Meinhardt are medical college students on the College of Kentucky who’ve taken go away from their research to pursue their Olympic goals.

Requested about her future, Kiefer reeled off her and Meinhardt’s remaining occasions in Paris. “That is so far as we’re considering for now,” she stated.

Eleanor Harvey grew to become the primary Canadian to win an Olympic fencing medal when she beat Alice Volpi of Italy 15-12 for the bronze.

Additionally Sunday, Japan’s Koki Kano beat France’s Yannick Borel 15-9 for the lads’s epee gold medal. It was Japan’s first gold in a person Olympic fencing occasion.

The vocal dwelling crowd needed to accept silver for the second day in a row after Auriane Mallo-Breton misplaced within the ladies’s epee closing Saturday.

Mohamed Elsayed received the bronze for Egypt 8-7 in time beyond regulation in opposition to Hungary’s Tibor Andrasfi.

NANTERRE, France (AP) — For Nic Fink, this was a very long time coming.

Which solely made it sweeter.

The 31-year-old swimmer, who splits time on the pool with a full-time engineering job, claimed the primary Olympic medal of his late-blooming profession Sunday night time.

Fink tied for the silver medal within the 100-meter breaststroke with British nice Adam Peaty, simply two-hundredths of a second behind winner Nicolo Martinenghi of Italy.

For some, coming that near the highest step on the rostrum can be gut-wrenching. Not so for Fink. Not in spite of everything he’s been by.

In his first two journeys to the U.S. trials, he did not make the Olympic crew. In 2021, he lastly broke by solely to complete fifth within the 200 breaststroke on the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Video games.

Now, lastly, he has a long-sought piece of {hardware}.

“Yeah, age is only a quantity in some sense,” Fink mentioned. “However in one other sense, it means extra at the moment, particularly as a result of there have been positively home windows to shut my profession earlier and I form of saved going for the love of the game. To have this a lot success this late has been icing on the cake and plenty of enjoyable.”

Fink has already gotten began on the subsequent section of his life.

He works for Quanta Utility Engineering Providers, clocking in remotely from his dwelling in Dallas. Some main multitasking expertise are required, however Fink and people round him — from his coaches the place he trains at SMU to his engineering colleagues — make it work.

If that’s not sufficient, Fink and his spouse, former Olympic swimmer Melanie Margalis Fink, expect the couple’s first baby in September.

When Fink earned a spot on the U.S. crew on the trials within the Indianapolis final month, he memorably made a rocking movement to his spouse cheering within the stands. However, with the due date lower than two months away, she wasn’t capable of journey to Paris.

“The physician was like, ‘Yeah, we’re truly actually form of shut for any journey, not to mention worldwide journey,’” Fink mentioned. “I do know she’s right here with me in spirit. Yeah, I’m bummed she will’t be right here, however it’s for the very best of causes.”

He seemed like a nervous father-to-be as he talked about his spouse watching his thriller of a race again dwelling.

“I feel she in all probability acquired her coronary heart fee up as a lot as I did,” Fink mentioned. “I’m hoping she’s capable of chill out just a little bit and keep hydrated and lay down as a result of she was in all probability leaping up and down.”

Peaty was the two-time reigning gold medalist on this occasion. Fink was thrilled to share a spot on the rostrum with one of many best breaststrokers in historical past.

“He’s a legend within the sport,” he mentioned. “And to see Nicolo there as nicely, it’s actually enjoyable. We’ve been racing collectively for fairly some time, it looks as if. So it’s actually cool to share the rostrum with all these guys.”

With all that’s happening his life, it will absolutely be the ultimate Olympics for Fink.

But when it appears a bit overwhelming, suppose once more. This can be a man who is aware of about balancing acts.

And persistence.

“It’s simply getting higher and higher,” Fink mentioned. “To have this sort of success at this meet, swimming for one thing that I’ve devoted so lengthy of my profession to, it’s actually cool. And for that to form of lead into one thing else, that’s additionally actually cool.”

___

AP Summer season Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

Is Morris County USA Swimming’s new Olympic Titletown?

About 24 hours after Jack Alexy of Mendham helped the U.S. win gold within the 400-meter freestyle relay, Nic Fink tied for silver Sunday in an exhilarating 100-meter breaststroke last in Paris.

Fink completed equal to two-time defending champion Adam Peaty from Nice Britain at 59.05 seconds, each simply two hundredths of a second behind gold medalist Nicolo Martinenghi of Italy. Fink and Peaty acquired their silver medals from Princess Anne of Nice Britain whereas standing collectively on the rostrum, to Martinenghi’s proper.

Following the Italian nationwide anthem, the bleached-blonde Martinenghi invited Fink and Peaty onto the highest step and posed for a selfie – which Fink confirmed to the tv cameras.

Fink, 31, is the oldest first-time USA Swimming Olympic medalist since Edgar Adams earned silver in 1904.

“It’s only a quantity in some sense however in one other sense, it means extra,” Fink, a USA Swimming co-captain, mentioned in a press launch. “There have been home windows to shut my profession earlier, and I saved going for the love of the game. To have this a lot success this late (in life) has been icing on the cake and a variety of enjoyable. Greater than something, it’s been enjoyable.”

The reigning world champion within the 100 breast, Fink was fourth after the semis, with Peaty the No. 1 seed going into the ultimate at Paris La Défense Area.

An extended highway from Pingry to Paris Olympics

Fink is the veteran amongst USA Swimming’s “Jersey Boys” − the contingent of prime American swimmers that despatched three opponents on the Summer time Video games and thus far has two medals to rejoice. Matt Fallon of Warren can also be competing within the breaststroke in Paris.

A graduate of The Pingry Faculty in Basking Ridge, Fink has amassed an extended checklist of accolades: He is a 19-time All-American and four-time Southeastern Convention 100 breaststroke champion on the College of Georgia. A five-time world champion within the breaststroke, he has been a part of Crew USA since 2013.

“To not less than stroll away with some {hardware} and assist add extra medals on the desk for Crew USA is an honor,” Fink mentioned. “It’s actually nice to have a group right here who will make it easier to and assist make a distinction.”

He failed to succeed in the 2012 or 2016 Video games however was fifth within the 200-meter breaststroke on the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, which have been held a 12 months late due to the COVID pandemic.

Extra:USA Swimming’s ‘Jersey Boys’ able to tackle the world at 2024 Olympics

At PIngry, Fink was a two-time Swimmer of the 12 months and the Somerset County Scholar-Athlete of the 12 months as a senior in 2011, Fink set the state highschool report whereas successful the 100-yard breast on the NJSIAA Meet of Champions. He swam breaststroke on the meet-record medley relay group and anchored the record-setting 200 and 400 freestyle relays.

He earned a grasp’s in electrical and laptop engineering from Georgia Tech after competing in Tokyo, and now works remotely as an assistant venture supervisor for Atlanta-based Quanta Utility Engineering Companies. Fink introduced his work laptop computer alongside to coaching camp and has been monitoring ongoing work and connecting together with his colleagues between practices.

Fink and his spouse, 2016 Olympic gold medal swimmer Melanie Margalis Fink, dwell in Dallas and predict their first little one – a boy – in mid-September. He trains at Southern Methodist College, the place she is an assistant ladies’s coach.

“The automobile was weighed once more on the FIA inside and outdoors scales and the burden was 796.5 kg. The calibration of the inside and outside scales was confirmed and witnessed by the competitor.

“As that is 1.5 kg beneath the minimal weight requested in TR Article 4.1, which additionally needs to be revered always in the course of the competitors, I’m referring this matter to the stewards for his or her consideration.”

After being referred to the stewards, it was confirmed that Russell had been disqualified from the race. As such, Hamilton is promoted to P1, whereas Oscar Piastri now takes P2 and Charles Leclerc strikes as much as P3.

A doc launched following the stewards’ listening to acknowledged: “Throughout the listening to the staff consultant confirmed that the measurement is right and that each one required procedures have been carried out accurately. The staff additionally acknowledged that there have been no mitigating circumstances and that it was a real error by the staff.

“The stewards decide that Article 4.1 of the FIA Components 1 Technical Rules
has been breached and due to this fact the usual penalty for such an infringement
must be utilized.”

Marvel Studios’ displays at Comedian-Con included a showcase with Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach from the just-rebranded “The Incredible 4: First Steps” — full with their experience, the Fantasticar, one way or the other floating throughout the stage.

That movie is due out July 25, 2025.

One other presentation featured Anthony Mackie and Harrison Ford, two of the celebs of the February 2025 launch “Captain America: Courageous New World.”

Ford mentioned he was “proud” to be becoming a member of the opposite actors who’ve been having a lot enjoyable within the MCU, saying: “I wished a bit of the motion.”

He additionally “Hulked” out on stage, in a nod to his character Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross turning into Crimson Hulk within the film.

That movie’s Giancarlo Esposito was additionally there, confirming that he is enjoying the villain Sidewinder.

Marvel’s highlight additionally noticed David Harbour, in character and in costume as his “Black Widow” character the Crimson Guardian, strolling by way of the gang to hype up “Thunderbolts,” his team-up film with different stars who have been there, together with Sebastian Stan, Florence Pugh and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

After a thunderous introduction, Harbour then broke character, saying to his co-stars, “Oh my God, you guys did not costume up?”

Followers in Corridor H have been handled to a tease of that forthcoming movie, as effectively, which is due out Might 5, 2025.

Marvel Studios concluded the ceremony with the shock information of Robert Downey Jr.’s return to the MCU as Physician Doom.

Marvel Studios is owned by Disney, the father or mother firm of ABC Information.

PARIS – Jade Carey, a Mountain Ridge Excessive College alumnus and former competitor at Arizona Sunrays, is again within the Summer season Olympics. That is her second journey to the Summer season Video games after she competed for Group USA within the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the place she received the gold medal within the ground train.

“I’d say it’s actually rewarding and particular,” Carey mentioned. “I by no means thought that I’d even get there as soon as, so to get there twice means that rather more to me.

Carey, 24, has pushed via a troublesome first few days on the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“I simply haven’t been feeling effectively the previous few days and haven’t been in a position to eat or something,” Carey advised Olympics.com.

Carey fell on her final ground train tumbling move, however she bounced again on vault and put collectively a 14.433 common in her two makes an attempt of the second qualifying session.

Carey’s effort on vault will probably permit her to compete within the occasion’s closing. The highest eight finishers in every occasion advance to the ultimate, which is able to happen beginning Saturday. She sits second within the vaulting standings.

The U.S. ladies’s gymnastics crew has continued its dominance and leads all international locations with 172.296 factors. Carey and the remainder of the roster will goal for his or her third gold since 2012 Tuesday.

Carey is with an analogous group because the final Olympics, which incorporates 2020 all-around champion Sunisa Lee and seven-time Olympic medalist and 2016 all-around champion Simone Biles.

It was throughout these 2016 Rio Olympics that Carey realized she may probably turn into an Olympian.

“I really feel prefer it wasn’t till I watched the 2016 Olympics, once I was sitting on the sofa with my dad and simply watching it and realizing that I may do a few of that gymnastics that I used to be seeing,” Carey mentioned. “That sort of made me understand that it was attainable to do.”

Carey’s dad, Brian, has been instrumental in her skilled and collegiate profession. He doubles as her father at residence and her coach within the health club. He’s a former gymnast who’s an assistant coach at Oregon State College – the place Carey competes collegiately.

“We’re actually good at preserving issues separate,” Carey mentioned. “We don’t actually speak about gymnastics if we’re not within the health club. I have a look at him as a coach within the health club and simply as a dad at residence, so actually discovering that stability early and sticking with that’s undoubtedly what’s helped us probably the most.”

The 2020 Summer season Olympics had been distinctive. In March 2020, the world shut down as a result of COVID-19 pandemic. In a matter of days, everybody was hunkered down of their properties to assist reduce the illness’s unfold.

COVID-19 impacted the Olympics, much like different sporting occasions the world over. For the primary time in Olympics historical past, the video games had been rescheduled. The video games occurred throughout the 2021 summer time, though no followers had been current throughout the occasions.

That change between the 2020 Olympics and the 2024 Video games is one thing Carey is wanting ahead to experiencing.

“I’m most excited for having a crowd and followers,” Carey mentioned. “It’s going be actually thrilling to have an area full of individuals cheering us on, and in addition simply to have the ability to expertise the Olympic Village.”

Carey skilled a full vary of feelings throughout a 24-hour interval on the Tokyo Olympics.

Throughout the vault finals, she struggled on each vault landings and completed the occasion in eighth place.

She bounced again the very subsequent evening.

She landed all 4 of her tumbling passes within the ground train and earned a gold medal-winning 14.366 rating. Her dad was the primary particular person she embraced after she completed her routine. As soon as she formally claimed the gold medal, she hugged him as soon as extra as her teammates cheered within the stands.

“I can’t even describe it,” Brian Carey mentioned. “She had gone from such a low the day earlier than to such a excessive that day that it was simply an unbelievable stream of feelings. It was actually, actually cool.”

When she returned to america as a gold medalist, she continued to garner assist. Phoenix mayor Kate Gallego proclaimed Aug. 17 Jade Carey Day.

“The town of Phoenix will get our title from a hen that rose from the ashes, and the hope was that individuals from right here would rise from robust circumstances to flourish, and Jade, you might have carried out simply that and made this neighborhood proud,” Gallego mentioned in 2021.

Since her victory on the 2020 Olympics, Carey has competed on the Oregon State gymnastics crew. She made her extremely anticipated debut on Jan. 15, 2022, and immediately dominated the collegiate competitors.

She earned Pac-12 gymnast of the yr in her first two collegiate seasons.

Carey is Oregon State’s chief, which has helped her carry out higher in high-intensity conditions.

“I feel faculty has helped me quite a bit with consistency and type and strain,” Carey mentioned. “I used to be our anchor on each occasion in faculty, so I at all times had some form of strain state of affairs thrown at me, however actually I feel that was all for the perfect and actually helped put together me for these high-pressure conditions.”

Carey earned her second Olympics journey in early July by putting fourth within the all-around occasion, whereas putting first on vault and second within the ground train. Biles, Lee, Jordan Chiles and Hezly Rivera can be representing the crew, whereas Leanne Wong and Joscelyn Robertson are the touring replacements.

By all of it, her father and coach can be there along with her in Paris.

“My dad may be very particular to me, and to have the ability to share these unbelievable experiences with him means quite a bit,” Carey mentioned. “We’ve undoubtedly been via all of it collectively, the nice and the unhealthy, and it’s by no means modified our relationship or how we go about sure conditions, so simply with the ability to have him right here and assist me get to the most important stage on this planet is absolutely particular.”

Venezuela, Caracas
CNN
 — 

Venezuelans are anxiously awaiting the results of a extremely consequential presidential election after casting their votes Sunday, wherein the nation’s longtime strongman, Nicolas Maduro, faces one in every of his biggest political challenges but, say analysts.

Folks started lining exterior polling facilities at daybreak, casting votes all through the day — although it stays unclear when the electoral authorities will announce the outcomes.

As night time fell, lots of these out on the streets voiced issues that the opposition is not going to see a good contest, as Maduro’s authorities controls all public establishments in Venezuela and has been accused of rigging earlier votes, which it denied.

Consultants had stated that opposition get together representatives can be current at every polling station to look at towards vote tampering and to make sure equity. However on Sunday night time, the opposition’s foremost witness stated she and different members had been denied entry to the Nationwide Electoral Council (CNE) because it collates the ends in the capital Caracas.

Delsa Solórzano, president of the Citizen Encounter Occasion, half of a bigger opposition coalition, additionally stated CNE had stopped sending voting knowledge from polling stations to the central authority, to forestall extra votes from being processed. She added that she had tried contacting the CNE, with none response.

CNN has reached out to the CNE, which has not but commented on the allegations.

Maduro, who took the mantle of the ruling Chavismo motion after his predecessor Hugo Chavez’s loss of life in 2013, is looking for his third consecutive six-year time period in workplace. Of the 9 different candidates working for the presidency, his greatest challenger is a unified opposition motion that overcame their divisions to type a coalition often known as the Democratic Unitary Platform.

The opposition motion has maintained its momentum regardless of sustained authorities repression, wherein their first-choice candidate, María Corina Machado, was disqualified from working. Machado, an avowed capitalist who has promised privatization of a number of state industries, has since rallied for her alternative, the soft-spoken former diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia.

The vote has come at a vital second for Venezuela, which has skilled violent repression below Maduro’s watch and the worst financial collapse of a peacetime nation in current historical past. The oil-rich nation, as soon as the fifth-largest financial system in Latin America, has seen its financial system shrink within the final decade to the equal of a medium-sized metropolis, based on knowledge from the Worldwide Financial Fund. 

Punishing sanctions on the regime by the USA and European Union have didn’t topple the populist incumbent, who argues that Venezuela’s woes are as a result of being a sufferer of an “financial struggle.”

Round eight million Venezuelans have fled the nation amid shortages of important items and hovering inflation, and others will really feel compelled to depart if Maduro wins, says the opposition coalition that has promised to revive Venezuela’s democracy.

Fleeing Venezuelans “would create big strain and destabilization within the area. And naturally, within the south border of the USA, however within the nation,” opposition chief Machado stated Sunday, including that an opposition victory would carry “hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans … again house.”

On Sunday, some voters in Caracas appeared optimistic for change. “[After] 25 years, I see that there’s a actual probability to vary. I see lots of people getting collectively to vote,” voter Mariana Schemel stated.

“I’m doing this for my youngsters and my grandchildren,” voter Amelia Perez informed CNN. She has three sons, one in every of whom resides in Washington, D.C. “I would like him to return again and I don’t need my youngsters to depart. All the remainder of my household already left.”

Voters got here out in droves to vote on Sunday, based on the opposition coalition. Outdoors a polling station in Caracas, Venezuelans chanted “we wish to vote” as they waited for hours in line to get to the poll field. Overseas, Venezuelan expatriates rallied in Miami, Florida, and the Peruvian capital Lima.

Greater than 21 million persons are registered to vote, each within the nation and overseas. The opposition coalition reported in a while Sunday afternoon a 54.8% voter turnout, representing a minimum of 11.7 million voters.

“That is big. If this continues, it will likely be a historic participation determine,” Machado stated in a press release launched Sunday afternoon. “What you’re seeing is a very powerful civic act in our historical past.”

There have been additionally minor “issues” at some voting stations, together with a small variety of stations that couldn’t be arrange and delays in processing voters’ ID playing cards, Machado stated.

And in Caracas, 55-year-old voter Henrique Mendoza informed CNN he was turned away from a polling middle by troopers for carrying cargo shorts, after queuing for hours – regardless of the CNE beforehand saying there is no such thing as a gown code for polling facilities.

When Maduro voted at 6 a.m. within the capital, he urged residents to respect the outcomes of the election. His foremost challenger González stated the opposition coalition is “going to attend for the outcomes from the Nationwide Electoral Council, nonetheless, we even have our strategies and mechanisms to know the progress of as we speak’s electoral course of.”

The election marketing campaign has seen a minimum of 71 individuals arbitrarily detained – nearly all of whom offered some form of service to the opposition – and a dozen on-line media retailers blocked throughout the nation, based on human rights group Laboratorio de Paz.

The federal government has additionally created important impediments for the hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans overseas to vote, together with extensively unattainable passport and residency necessities. Solely 69,211 Venezuelans dwelling overseas are eligible to vote on this yr’s ballot, based on knowledge printed by the CNE.

A restricted group of election observers, together with a crew from The Carter Middle – a non-profit group arrange by former US President Jimmy Carter – can be on the bottom. However a number of worldwide election observers have introduced this week that they are going to not journey to Venezuela to observe the vote.

Latin American leaders, together with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, have known as on Maduro to decide to stepping down if he loses. Venezuelan opposition figures have additionally appealed to the nation’s army, that has lengthy supported Maduro and his predecessor, to respect the outcomes. The Venezuelan chief has stated his victory will guarantee “peace” within the nation.

The Biden administration has been monitoring the elections, telling reporters on Friday that the US stands ready to levy further sanctions towards Venezuela if the democratic course of will not be allowed to unfold.

Vice President Kamala Harris stated “the will of the Venezuelan individuals have to be revered” in a submit on X, including that “regardless of the numerous challenges, we’ll proceed to work towards a extra democratic, affluent, and safe future for the individuals of Venezuela.”

How the military reacts to the result could possibly be an necessary consider any situation, however analysts say it unimaginable to parse the place it stands.

“The army is completely key. However I need to additionally say that the army may be very airtight, [and] it is extremely tough to entry details about what it’s considering,” Laura Cristina Dib, the Venezuela Program Director of Venezuela Program on the Washington Workplace on Latin America (WOLA), informed CNN.

With reporting from CNN’s Abel Alvarado, David Shortell and Michael Rios. 

NANTERRE, France — Moments after 1000’s of his countrymen sang a deafening therapy of the French nationwide anthem in La Protection enviornment outdoors Paris, Leon Marchand broke away from a pack of elite swimmers within the males’s 400 meter particular person medley last.

“It was a tremendous time for me,” Marchand stated after the race, by which the 22-year-old scored his first Olympic gold. “I used to be actually residing it within the second.”

Marchand, who competed for Arizona State College and now lives in Austin, Texas, dominated the occasion which mixes freestyle, again, breast and butterfly strokes.

At instances in the course of the race Marchand was to this point forward he gave the impression to be swimming in a special pool.

In a sport the place victories are sometimes razor-thin, he touched the wall greater than 5 seconds forward of Japan’s Tomoyuki Matsushita, who took silver.

The end of 4:02:95 was sturdy sufficient to set a brand new Olympic document, shattering the mark set by Michael Phelps in 2008 on the Beijing Video games.

“I had goose bumps on the rostrum,” Marchand stated. “I felt actually proud to be myself and to be French.”

An emblem of Frenchness who competed for Arizona State College

Marchand, along with his boyish beauty, has emerged as a nationwide icon of those Paris Olympics. After his win Sunday night time, French President Emmanuel Macron referred to as to supply congratulations.

Bob Bowman coached Marchand at ASU earlier than he turned professional this spring and helped put together him for these Olympics.

“That was an ideal swim,” he stated, describing Marchand as the very best ever on this occasion. “He can swim sooner than that. He is bought the velocity, he is bought the endurance.”

American swimmer Carson Foster additionally turned in a robust efficiency within the medley last to seize an upset bronze medal.

“I have never had good races in huge moments, so tonight simply felt good,” Foster stated.

However he too appeared awed by Marchand’s efficiency and by the roaring French crowd.

“It was fairly wild,” Foster stated of the ambiance within the packed enviornment. “It was particular for Leon to have the ability to try this in his dwelling nation. I will be capable of inform my children about that some day.”

Yet one more silver for the U.S. swimmers

In one other come-from-behind upset for U.S. swimmers, Nic Fink surged to a tie with legendary British Olympian Adam Peaty for a silver medal within the males’s 100-meter breaststroke last.

Peaty had been closely favored within the race.

“There weren’t many ideas going via my head,” Fink stated of his shock medal efficiency. “It was simply type of go-go-go. I knew it was going to be actually shut and everybody was inside a fingernail.”

Fink and Peaty completed a fraction of a second behind Italian Nicolo Martinenghi who received the gold medal, his nation’s first at these Video games.

Reporting contributed by NPR’s Becky Sullivan in Nanterre, France.

Katie Ledecky mirrored on her bronze medal efficiency within the 400 free throughout a press convention after the ultimate in Paris. 

“It was such area that there was an opportunity that I may haven’t have gotten a medal, so I’m grateful for that, grateful for the hassle that I put in, pleased with the medal and looking out ahead to my subsequent races,” Ledecky mentioned.

“I don’t really feel like essentially I’ve put collectively the 400 that I’m able to lately however I do know it’s in there.” 

Ledecky went on to speak about coaching with individuals like Bobby Finke and Kieran Smith, getting emotional as she described the affect the individuals round her on this sport have had on her.

“It’s only a actually particular group and it’s why I like the game a lot as a result of I get to spend on a regular basis with individuals Bobby and Kieran and my coaches and everybody that believes in me and pushes me, and I believe simply the arrogance I used to be in a position to have at this time is a testomony to them.” 

You’ll be able to watch the complete clip from her interview beneath.