Paris: Badminton stars Kunlavut Vitidsarn and Supanida Katethong yesterday advanced to the last 16 round of the men's singles and women's singles events of the 2024 Olympics in Paris respectively.
Men's singles world champion Kunlavut claimed his second win in Group C after his Finnish opponent Kalle Koljonen retired in the second game at Porte de la Chapelle Arena in Paris on Wednesday.
Kunlavut won the first game 21-8 and led 8-0 in the second.
Supanida Katethong eased past Hong Kong's Lo Sin Yan.
Supanida eased past Lo Sin Yan of Hong Kong 21-14, 21-9 for her second win in Group D to also progress to the round of 16 on Tuesday.
Kunlavut will face Japan's Kenta Nishimoto, the Group D winner, in the round of 16, while Supanida will take on Akane Yamaguchi, the Group C winner, after the Japanese fifth seed defeated Michelle Li of Canada in three games on Wednesday.
However, the women's doubles pair Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai exited the quadrennial tournament after suffering their second defeat in Group D, going down to Koreans Baek Ha-Na and Lee So-Hee of South Korea 9-21, 12-21 on Tuesday night.
Meanwhile defending men's singles champion Viktor Axelsen dismantled Ireland's Nhat Nguyen to cruise into the quarter-finals on Wednesday.
Denmark's Axelsen made it three wins from three in Paris, overcoming a slow start to beat Nguyen 21-13, 21-10 and top Group P.
China's Shi Yuqi joined the Dane in the last eight with a 21-9, 21-10 victory over Italy's Giovanni Toti in Group A.
Thitisan Panmot of Thailand, left, in action against David de Pina of Cape Verde in the men's 51kg bout. (Photo: Reuters)
Both Shi and Axelsen have received last 16 round byes and placed directly into the quarter-finals because of their world rankings.
Thitisan Panmot became the fourth Thai boxer to crash out of the Olympics.
The 23-year-old, who won a silver medal at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, last year, lost to David de Pina of Cape Verde 4-1 in the men's 51kg round of 16 clash at the North Paris Arena in Villepinte on Tuesday.
Jutamas Jitpong lost to Widad Bertal of Morocco in the round of 16 of the women's 54kg division earlier in the day.
Two women boxers Chutamat Raksat and Janjaem Suwannapheng will be in action in the round of 16 on Thursday.
Chutamat will take on Sabina Bobokulova of Uzbekistan in the women's 50kg event while Janjaem will face Brigitte Mbabi of Congo in the women's 66kg clash.
Golfers Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Phachara Khongwatmai will begin the men's individual strokeplay campaign on Thursday.
The duo will be up against a world-class field that includes Tokyo Olympics champion Xander Schauffele and US teammate Scottie Scheffler.
The competition at Le Golf National south of the French capital will extend golf's brief history at the Games, with the sport having returned to the Olympic fold at Rio 2016 after a century-long absence.
Triathlon finally goes ahead
France's Cassandre Beaugrand clinched victory in the women's triathlon on Wednesday, which finally began in the Seine after days of suspense over whether the river would be clean enough for athletes.
Beaugrand, 27, triumphed after a remarkable bunched finish, opening up a gap in the late stages of the run from Switzerland's Julie Derron who finished second, and Britain's third-placed Beth Potter.
That the race took place at all was a triumph and relief for organisers who have been sweating on the state of the Seine since last Friday when the French capital was deluged by rain during the opening ceremony.
Britain's Alex Yee won the men's event, passing New Zealand's Hayden Wilde in the final stretch in a dramatic finish to the delayed event.
Yee, who won silver at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, caught great rival Wilde on one of the last corners of the 10-kiometre run, with the New Zealander finishing second and France's Leo Bergere winning the battle for third.
Britain pulled off a stunning victory with the last stroke of their oars to win gold in the women's quadruple sculls final at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium on Wednesday, beating Netherlands in a thrilling finale.
Minutes after the Dutch men's team won gold, they looked set to add a second but following a titanic struggle the British foursome pulled themselves across the line with one last big effort to win by 0.15 seconds, with Germany third.
The Netherlands crew appeared to have comfortably dealt with the British challenge from the midway point of the race, but Britain's crew somehow found the energy to mount a last desperate challenge to stun the Dutch at the finish line.
