2024 Paris Olympic Games day 5: Five things you missed while you were sleeping

Dodgy water tests, a miserable Matildas finish and more gold for Australia on day five of competition at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Here are five things you missed while you were sleeping.

Drone scandals, gender furores, dodgy water tests and more gold for Australia on day five of competition at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Here are five things you missed while you were sleeping.

Fox makes history with golden run

Jess Fox has become the most successful Australian Olympian of all time in individual events after winning a sixth individual medal with her canoe slalom gold. Fox flew down the course at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium to beat the standard of Germany’s Elenda Lilik by an amazing 2.48sec and defend the title she won in Tokyo. While Emma McKeon has an amazing 12 Olympic medals – including six gold – just two of them have come in individual events. Fox now has three gold, a silver and two bronze medals, ahead of France’s Tony Estangeut, who stood as the greatest paddler at the Olympics, with three gold.

Gold medalist Jessica Fox on the podium during the Women's Canoe Slalom Single medal ceremony. Picture: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

Dodgy test results used to green light triathlon in dirty Seine

The men’s and women’s triathlon events have been completed but officials are facing tough questions about the legitimacy of water pollution tests used to green light swimming in the Seine. Paris 2024 organisers used a 21-hour-old water test to give the go ahead for triathletes to plunge into the River Seine despite rain in the hours before the event likely causing its quality to deteriorate. Paris 2024 Director of Sports Aurelie Merle insisted organisers were working with the “most accurate information”.

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Aussie BMX warrior claims historic medal in Paris

Natalya Diehm has delivered one of the most unlikely success stories of the Paris Olympics, overcoming five knee reconstructions to secure bronze in an extraordinary final. The mentally defiant Queenslander pumped her fist and held back tears as she finished on the podium in the women’s BMX freestyle final. Diehm put down two monster runs with her score of 88.80 securing her bronze medal and lifelong dream. The stunning result for Diehm is one of the Games’ great stories of persistence.

Matildas crash out of Olympics after USA defeat

The Matildas’ Olympic campaign is over after going down to the USA, with unwanted history made by the Australian team.

Needing a draw or win to advance, Australia trailed 2-0 following goals either side of half-time from Trinity Rodman and substitute Korbin Albert.

Defender Alanna Kennedy was thrust up front and pulled one back for the Matildas in stoppage time but a frantic finish from Tony Gustavsson’s side was not enough to secure the required result.

It is the first time the Matildas, in their five Olympic appearances, have failed to get out of the group stage.

King Kyle cements his place among swimming greats

In collecting the silver medal in the 100m freestyle at the Paris Olympics, Kyle Chalmers proved beyond any doubt that he is the greatest sprinter of his generation and the finest Australia has ever produced.

The only guy who beat Chalmers was China’s Pan Zhanle, who demolished the world record, setting a time of 46.40 seconds.

The sceptics will ask questions about how he did it, given the furore over the recent drugs scandal involving the Chinese swim team, though there is no suggestion Pan is anything but clean.

King Kyle already has a gold medal from Rio in 2016 as well as silver from Tokyo three years ago. Now he has a second silver.

While he might have pocketed another gold with a slice of luck, a third medal in swimming’s blue-riband event is an astonishing feat that deserves to be celebrated regardless of the colours.

Originally published as 2024 Paris Olympic Games day 5: Five things you missed while you were sleeping