Women’s Gymnastics
Jordan Chiles (2022-23) and Team USA won the team gold medal at the Olympic Games, the USA women’s fourth-ever gold medal and third in the last four Games. For Chiles, it is her second Olympic medal, after winning silver in the team competition in 2020.
The U.S. won by a nearly six-point margin, totaling 171.296 to outscore second-place Italy (165.494) and third-place Brazil (164.497).
Chiles, who had the fourth-highest all-around score in the qualifying round, competed all four events again in the team final, totaling 55.465. She contributed Team USA’s highest execution scores on vault, uneven bars and floor exercise.
To read the full release, click here.
Men’s Water Polo
Team USA fell behind 3-2 early but put together an impressive 7-0 run to pull away from Romania for a 14-8 victory in its second match at the Paris Olympic Games on July 30. All three Bruins played and all scored against the Romanians.
Romania had a strong start to the match taking a 1-0 lead early and holding an edge for most of the quarter. Every time Team USA would come back in the first, Romania had an answer. But Team USA scored late in the period to tie the match at 3-3 heading into the second. That would open the offensive floodgates for Team USA as it launched the 7-0 run and would go on to outscore Romania 7-1 over the next two quarters. In the second quarter, Team USA took the lead in the opening minute for a 4-3 edge.
A few minutes later UCLA incoming freshman Ryder Dodd followed with his first Olympic goal on a penalty shot for a 5-3 lead. Then it was the Bruins’ Max Irving’s turn on the counter attack to make it 6-3 with under four minutes to play and that would be the margin at halftime. The Americans led 10-4 heading into the fourth with Irving netting his second goal of the game in the third period on a shot from two meters off a nice drive and feed from Chase Dodd. Team USA scored early in the final period on the first Olympic career goal for UCLA’s Chase Dodd. Romania started to battle back, scoring four of the next five goals to pull within four at 12-8 with 1:43 to play. But the Americans scored the last two goals of the game to provide the 14-8 final.
Team USA returns to action on Thursday when they meet Greece at 10:30 a.m. local time/1:30 a.m. PT. The match will air LIVE on E! and stream on Peacock.
Men’s Indoor Volleyball
Current UCLA and USA Men’s National Team head coach John Speraw and players Micah Ma’a (2015-19) and Garrett Muagututia (2006-10) continued group C play with a nailbiting 3-2 win (25-21, 25-17, 17-25, 20-25, 15-11) over Germany. After winning the first two sets, the Germans responded with two set wins in a row, forcing a decisive fifth set. In the fifth set the US re-established control and earned a 15-11 set win to clinch the match. The trio will be back in action to take on Japan at noon PT on Friday, August 2. The match will be televised live on USA Network and streaming on Peacock.
Men’s Beach Volleyball
Miles Partain (2021-23) earned his first Olympic win 2-0 (21-12, 28-26) with partner Andy Benesh to stay alive in Poll D play on Tuesday. The U.S. jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first set and quickly extended the lead to seven points, 13-6. Partain scored his seventh point after recording back-to-back kills to make it 17-9 before a Benesh kill made it 20-11. The set ended on a Morocco service error. Partain finished the set with nine kills and Benesh added eight points on six kills and two aces.
The duo quickly took the lead in the second set. Partain and Benseh widened the gap to 17-9 in the second set before the Moroccan pair clawed their way back, evening the match at 20-20. A Partain kill made it 24-23. After seven match points were defended, the duo finished the match when Benesh, who first blocked a ball back over the net, put a ball away over the top of the defense for a 28-26 victory.
Partain and Benseh are back in action on Thursday, August 1st at 6 a.m. PT when they take on George Wanderley and Andre Stein of Brazil.
Bruins in the Olympics News
Jordan Chiles battles back on beam to help Team USA win gold in Paris (NBC Sports)
Team USA wins gold in women’s gymnastics team final (Today)
How Arcadia native led US men’s volleyball team to Paris Olympics – John Speraw (NBC 4 – Los Angeles)
Social Media Highlights
THAT GIRL IS AN OLYMPIC CHAMPION!!! ??
Congratulations Jordan Chiles and Team USA! #GoBruins | #OlympiansMadeHere pic.twitter.com/ifhtAiS9eV
— UCLA Gymnastics (@uclagymnastics) July 30, 2024
Jordan Chiles and her family after her floor routine ???? pic.twitter.com/Pm5F0ujTB3
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 30, 2024
TEAM USA IS GOLDEN IN PARIS ?? pic.twitter.com/BqBCpMQr9b
— ESPN (@espn) July 30, 2024
Still undefeated in Paris!
Garrett Muagututia, Micah Ma’a, and @JohnSperaw move to 2-0 with a 3-2 win over Germany.
??: USA Today Photos, Getty Images #GoBruins | #OlympiansMadeHere | #UCLAOlympians pic.twitter.com/uCr5KJctBY
— UCLA M. Volleyball (@UCLAMVB) July 30, 2024
Turned up the heat ??
Miles Partain and Andy Benesh earned their first Olympic win on Tuesday morning!#GoBruins | #OlympiansMadeHere | #UCLAOlympians pic.twitter.com/n2zmkLYnkk
— UCLA M. Volleyball (@UCLAMVB) July 30, 2024
First appeared on uclabruins.com