Artistic Swimming
Daniella Ramirez (2023-pres.) and Team USA secured a silver medal on Wednesday after the third and final day of team competition. It marked the United States’ first medal in artistic swimming since a bronze in 2004, and first time earning a silver medal or better since 1996 (gold at the Atlanta Games).
The U.S. clinched the silver with a second-place result in the acrobatic routine (271.3166) on Wednesday, which came on the heels of finishing fourth in technical routine (282.7567) and runner-up in free routine (360.2688) for a final score of 914.3421. China (996.1389) and Spain (900.7319) were the other squads to medal.
Men’s Water Polo
The U.S. men’s water polo team edged Australia, 11-10, in a quarterfinal match on Wednesday that concluded with a penalty shootout. Team USA and Australia ended the fourth quarter tied, 7-7, after the United States knotted up the score with a game-tying 6-on-5 goal at the 32-second mark. The United States outscored Australia in the shootout, 4-3.
Three players from the UCLA men’s water polo program saw action on Wednesday – former standout Max Irving (2014-17), rising junior Chase Dodd (2021-present) and incoming freshman Ryder Dodd. Team USA erased a 5-2 deficit midway through the game, scoring three consecutive goals from the end of the second quarter and into the third period. The United States trailed at halftime, 5-3.
Ryder Dodd scored one goal on Wednesday, finding the back of the cage with 5:29 to play in the third quarter and cutting Australia’s cushion to 5-4. Team USA has advanced to the semifinals and will face Serbia on Friday, Aug. 9. The United States has not advanced to the semifinals in men’s water polo since securing the silver medal in the 2008 Olympics in Athens, Greece.
Women’s Golf
Lilia Vu (2015-18) of the United States and Mariajo Uribe (2007-09) of Colombia both shot a 2-under 70 in the first round of the Olympics at Le Golf National on Wednesday to put themselves in a tie for third. Vu and Uribe sit five strokes back of France’s Celine Boutier in first place at -7, 65.
Uribe, who is making her third Olympic appearance, announced she will be retiring at the end of the tournament.
Vu, making her Olympic debut, briefly held the lead after recording her third straight birdie on the par four seventh hole. She closed out her round with two bogeys over her final three holes.
Emma Spitz (2019-22) of Austria and Patty Tavatanakit (2017-19) of Thailand also are competing in Paris. Spitz is tied for 36th after shooting a 3-over 75 while Tavatanakit is tied for 40th with a 4-over 76.
The Bruins’ four golfers rank second most in terms of representation at the Paris Olympics, trailing only Arizona State with five.
Women’s Basketball
Angela Dugalic (2021-pres.) wrapped her second Olympic appearance with Wednesday as the Serbian national team fell to Australia, 85-67. The Bruin student-athlete played 22 minutes in the elimination game, tallying 14 points and six rebounds in the effort. Dugalic also had a steal and a block in the loss.
Germany concluded its historic inaugural appearance at the 2024 Paris Olympics, falling to host-country France in the quarterfinal matchup 84-71. Emily Bessoir (2020-24) and Lina Sontag (2022-24) did not appear in the game.
Track & Field
Rai Benjamin (2016-17) secured an automatic qualification to the men’s 400m hurdle final in Wednesday’s semifinal round. The hurdler ran 47.85, the second-fastest mark in the field of competition, to claim first place in his heat. Benjamin has secured his spot in Friday’s final, which is set to go at 12:45 p.m. PT on Aug. 9. The race will be broadcast to NBC and Peacock.
Men’s Beach Volleyball
Miles Partain (2021-23) and partner Andy Benesh fell in straight sets 2-0 (21-14, 21-16) to Ahmed Tijan and Cherif Younousse of Qatar in the quarterfinal round on Wednesday afternoon.
Partain/Benesh fought hard in the beginning of the first set. A 4-0 run for Qatar put Younousse/Tijan up 11-8, but the U.S. responded with a 4-0 run of their own to take a 12-11 lead. Qatar then went on a 6-0 run to take a 17-12 lead and ended the set on a 10-2 run overall to win the first set 21-14.
The duo fell behind in the second set as well, and could not quite mount the comeback, falling 21-16 in the second set.
Partain and Benesh finish the tournament with a record of 3-2 in their Olympic debut, highlighted by a win over Samuele Cottafava and Paolo Nicolai of Italy in the round of 16.
Men’s Indoor Volleyball
Team USA and UCLA head coach John Speraw, and former student-athletes Micah Ma’a (2016-19), and Garrett Muagututia (2006-09) dropped a hard-fought five-set match in the Olympic semifinals to Poland 3-2 (23-25, 27-25, 25-14, 23-25, 13-15) on Wednesday morning.
Team USA dropped a back-and-forth first set, 23-25, before responding in a big way in the second set. The Americans opened the set hot and took a 21-18 lead before Poland closed the gap and forced overtime. It took three set points, but the U.S. earned the set 27-25 off of an Aaron Russell kill.
The Americans carried their momentum into the third set. The U.S. held a 13-9 advantage before winning 12 of the next 17 points to take the set 25-14.
In the fourth set the Americans battled for each point. Poland lead 18-17 before a huge 3-point run by Team USA, put the Americans up 20-18. Poland responded with a run of their own and closed the set on a 7-3 run to take the set 25-23, tying the match at 2-2.
Poland took an 8-5 lead in the fifth set before the United States closed the gap to one, 11-10. However, Poland earned the next three points to take a 14-10 lead. The United States clawed their way back to close it to 14-13 before Poland earned the match point on the next play to take the fifth set, 15-13.
Speraw, Ma’a, and Muagututia will be back in action on Friday, August 9 at 7 a.m. PT to take on Italy in the bronze medal match. The match will be broadcast on Peacock.
Bruin Olympians in the News
United States’ Partain and Benesh bow out in beach volleyball quarterfinals – Los Angeles Daily News
Poland dashes USA men’s Olympic volleyball gold-medal hopes – Volleyball Magazine
Colombia’s Mariajo Uribe enjoying career sendoff at Olympic women’s golf event – NBC
Family Sacrifice on Lilia Vu’s Mind After Strong Start to Olympic Debut – LPGA
‘It was magical.’ U.S. wins first medal in artistic swimming in 20 years – Los Angeles Times
Artistic swimmer is a third-generation athlete who is fulfilling the American dream – NBC
Daniella Ramirez (2023-pres.) and Team USA secured a silver medal on Wednesday after the third and final day of team competition. It marked the United States’ first medal in artistic swimming since a bronze in 2004, and first time earning a silver medal or better since 1996 (gold at the Atlanta Games).
The U.S. clinched the silver with a second-place result in the acrobatic routine (271.3166) on Wednesday, which came on the heels of finishing fourth in technical routine (282.7567) and runner-up in free routine (360.2688) for a final score of 914.3421. China (996.1389) and Spain (900.7319) were the other squads to medal.
Men’s Water Polo
The U.S. men’s water polo team edged Australia, 11-10, in a quarterfinal match on Wednesday that concluded with a penalty shootout. Team USA and Australia ended the fourth quarter tied, 7-7, after the United States knotted up the score with a game-tying 6-on-5 goal at the 32-second mark. The United States outscored Australia in the shootout, 4-3.
Three players from the UCLA men’s water polo program saw action on Wednesday – former standout Max Irving (2014-17), rising junior Chase Dodd (2021-present) and incoming freshman Ryder Dodd. Team USA erased a 5-2 deficit midway through the game, scoring three consecutive goals from the end of the second quarter and into the third period. The United States trailed at halftime, 5-3.
Ryder Dodd scored one goal on Wednesday, finding the back of the cage with 5:29 to play in the third quarter and cutting Australia’s cushion to 5-4. Team USA has advanced to the semifinals and will face Serbia on Friday, Aug. 9. The United States has not advanced to the semifinals in men’s water polo since securing the silver medal in the 2008 Olympics in Athens, Greece.
Women’s Golf
Lilia Vu (2015-18) of the United States and Mariajo Uribe (2007-09) of Colombia both shot a 2-under 70 in the first round of the Olympics at Le Golf National on Wednesday to put themselves in a tie for third. Vu and Uribe sit five strokes back of France’s Celine Boutier in first place at -7, 65.
Uribe, who is making her third Olympic appearance, announced she will be retiring at the end of the tournament.
Vu, making her Olympic debut, briefly held the lead after recording her third straight birdie on the par four seventh hole. She closed out her round with two bogeys over her final three holes.
Emma Spitz (2019-22) of Austria and Patty Tavatanakit (2017-19) of Thailand also are competing in Paris. Spitz is tied for 36th after shooting a 3-over 75 while Tavatanakit is tied for 40th with a 4-over 76.
The Bruins’ four golfers rank second most in terms of representation at the Paris Olympics, trailing only Arizona State with five.
Women’s Basketball
Angela Dugalic (2021-pres.) wrapped her second Olympic appearance with Wednesday as the Serbian national team fell to Australia, 85-67. The Bruin student-athlete played 22 minutes in the elimination game, tallying 14 points and six rebounds in the effort. Dugalic also had a steal and a block in the loss.
Germany concluded its historic inaugural appearance at the 2024 Paris Olympics, falling to host-country France in the quarterfinal matchup 84-71. Emily Bessoir (2020-24) and Lina Sontag (2022-24) did not appear in the game.
Track & Field
Rai Benjamin (2016-17) secured an automatic qualification to the men’s 400m hurdle final in Wednesday’s semifinal round. The hurdler ran 47.85, the second-fastest mark in the field of competition, to claim first place in his heat. Benjamin has secured his spot in Friday’s final, which is set to go at 12:45 p.m. PT on Aug. 9. The race will be broadcast to NBC and Peacock.
Men’s Beach Volleyball
Miles Partain (2021-23) and partner Andy Benesh fell in straight sets 2-0 (21-14, 21-16) to Ahmed Tijan and Cherif Younousse of Qatar in the quarterfinal round on Wednesday afternoon.
Partain/Benesh fought hard in the beginning of the first set. A 4-0 run for Qatar put Younousse/Tijan up 11-8, but the U.S. responded with a 4-0 run of their own to take a 12-11 lead. Qatar then went on a 6-0 run to take a 17-12 lead and ended the set on a 10-2 run overall to win the first set 21-14.
The duo fell behind in the second set as well, and could not quite mount the comeback, falling 21-16 in the second set.
Partain and Benesh finish the tournament with a record of 3-2 in their Olympic debut, highlighted by a win over Samuele Cottafava and Paolo Nicolai of Italy in the round of 16.
Men’s Indoor Volleyball
Team USA and UCLA head coach John Speraw, and former student-athletes Micah Ma’a (2016-19), and Garrett Muagututia (2006-09) dropped a hard-fought five-set match in the Olympic semifinals to Poland 3-2 (23-25, 27-25, 25-14, 23-25, 13-15) on Wednesday morning.
Team USA dropped a back-and-forth first set, 23-25, before responding in a big way in the second set. The Americans opened the set hot and took a 21-18 lead before Poland closed the gap and forced overtime. It took three set points, but the U.S. earned the set 27-25 off of an Aaron Russell kill.
The Americans carried their momentum into the third set. The U.S. held a 13-9 advantage before winning 12 of the next 17 points to take the set 25-14.
In the fourth set the Americans battled for each point. Poland lead 18-17 before a huge 3-point run by Team USA, put the Americans up 20-18. Poland responded with a run of their own and closed the set on a 7-3 run to take the set 25-23, tying the match at 2-2.
Poland took an 8-5 lead in the fifth set before the United States closed the gap to one, 11-10. However, Poland earned the next three points to take a 14-10 lead. The United States clawed their way back to close it to 14-13 before Poland earned the match point on the next play to take the fifth set, 15-13.
Speraw, Ma’a, and Muagututia will be back in action on Friday, August 9 at 7 a.m. PT to take on Italy in the bronze medal match. The match will be broadcast on Peacock.
Bruin Olympians in the News
United States’ Partain and Benesh bow out in beach volleyball quarterfinals – Los Angeles Daily News
Poland dashes USA men’s Olympic volleyball gold-medal hopes – Volleyball Magazine
Colombia’s Mariajo Uribe enjoying career sendoff at Olympic women’s golf event – NBC
Family Sacrifice on Lilia Vu’s Mind After Strong Start to Olympic Debut – LPGA
‘It was magical.’ U.S. wins first medal in artistic swimming in 20 years – Los Angeles Times
Artistic swimmer is a third-generation athlete who is fulfilling the American dream – NBC
Social Media Highlights
USA men’s water polo advance to their first Olympic semifinal since 2008 after beating Australia 11-10 ??
Look at what it means to them ???? pic.twitter.com/fiqtYLRuKS
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 7, 2024
The @USAWP men are headed to the Olympic ???????????????????? for the first time since 2008.
Congrats to Max Irving, Ryder Dodd & Chase Dodd on Wednesday’s comeback win over Australia (11-10)!#GoBruins | #OlympiansMadeHere | #UCLAOlympians pic.twitter.com/KzB7COTv1D
— UCLA Water Polo (@UCLAWaterPolo) August 7, 2024
An electric atmosphere! ??#Paris2024 | #Olympics pic.twitter.com/ffmzb2qx4S
— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) August 7, 2024
Two Bruins are in the mix after round one at Le Golf National! ?? @MariaJoUribe and @TheLiliaVu are t-3rd (-2) and sit five strokes back of the lead.#GoBruins | #OlympiansMadeHere | #UCLAOlympians pic.twitter.com/Dpat9FxAtt
— UCLA Women’s Golf (@UCLAWomensGolf) August 7, 2024
Lilia Vu rolls in her third straight birdie to take the solo lead. ??????
?? Golf Channel and Peacock | #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/BhYUafHsaF
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) August 7, 2024
SILVER ??????
Team USA artistic swimming secures their first team medal in two decades at the #ParisOlympics! pic.twitter.com/VMoCXKAboO
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) August 7, 2024
Daniel Miller is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. His coverage spans from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis for sports enthusiasts.
