Top five stories so far from day eight of Paris 2024

After their most successful opening week to a summer Olympics, Team GB showed no signs of slowing down on day eight.

The 10th British gold of Paris 2024 was won in the men’s rowing eights, lifting the team above the USA to fourth in the medal table.

The women’s eights won a hard-earned bronze, as the rowing team reached historic heights in the French capital.

Meanwhile, there were mixed fortunes on the track, as Louie Hinchliffe won his men’s 100m heat – but team-mate Jeremiah Azu was disqualified.

In the pool, Adam Peaty made his return following a positive Covid test as GB aim for medals in the relays as the swimming action approaches a conclusion.

The final day of rowing competition at the 2024 Games brought medals for Team GB in both blue riband events.

Firstly, the women’s eights took bronze after a close battle with Canada, who won silver while Romania ran away with gold.

Then came the men, who were neck and neck with the Netherlands at the halfway mark before charging away in the final 500m to emulate the gold they won in this event in 2016.

Cox Harry Brightmore was on his feet in the boat, pointing out each of the eight rowers to congratulate them on their achievement.

This was GB’s eighth rowing medal in Paris, making it their best medal tally for an overseas games. They won nine at 2012, and eight in 1908 – both in London.

Hinchliffe, the British sprinter trained by American Olympic great Carl Lewis, laid down a marker in the men’s 100m heats.

He won his heat in 9.98 seconds ahead of highly fancied Noah Lyles of the USA, before GB’s Zharnel Hughes also progressed.

Before that, the men’s 100m – arguably the highlight of the Olympics in male competition – could not have got off to a worse start for Team GB.

It was heartbreak for Azu as he was disqualified from his heat for a false start.

The 23-year-old from Cardiff – who ran 9.97 seconds in May, one of the top 10 fastest times ever by a British athlete – fiercely fought his case, but eventually left the track in the most disappointing fashion.

The highlight of tonight’s athletics action is the women’s 100m final at 20.20 BST. GB’s Dina Asher-Smith, Imani Lansiquot and Daryll Neita are all through to the semi-finals.

Peaty returned to the pool to help Great Britain qualify fifth-fastest for the men’s 4x100m medley relay final.

The team of Oliver Morgan, Peaty, Joe Litchfield and Matt Richards led their heat at the halfway point and but were pipped into second spot by the United States.

Leon Marchand swam the breaststroke leg in heat one for France, who were roared on their way to victory. The final takes place at 18.10 BST tomorrow.

Earlier, Britain’s Anna Hopkin qualified for the semi-finals of the women’s 50m freestyle – but only just.

Hopkin finished in a tie for fourth in her heat and qualified joint-15th fastest with a time of 24.72 seconds.

Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden, the world record holder who won the 100m freestyle this week, qualified quickest with a time of 23.85secs – almost half a second faster than the rest of the field.

Team GB will defend their mixed 4x100m relay swimming gold at 20.30 BST – with Peaty aiming to be involved.

Megan Havers was the youngest archer competing at the Olympics – so always faced a tough task when facing number one seed Lim Si-hyeon in the women’s individual archery.

And the South Korean proved too good for the 16-year-old, winning 7-1 in the last-16 match at Les Invalides.

Havers however did herself proud, as she became the first woman to win a point against Lim at these Games by tieing the first set.

Eventually Lim fought through, leaving Havers with just the memories of her maiden Olympics – and a wait for her GCSE results later this month.