Were you not entertained? The Tokyo Olympics rolled on Wednesday with opportunities for redemption and, of course, more gold medals. After a jam-packed Tuesday night that saw swimmer Katie Ledecky win her first gold of the Games -- and her sixth career gold (GOAT things) -- and U.S. men's basketball bounce back in a big way with a 54-point win over Iran, it was time to lock in on Wednesday morning's slate of events.
From Team USA women's 3x3 basketball earning a historic gold medal to Simone Biles and MyKayla Skinner showing out for the U.S. men's gymnastics individual all-around final, we've got you covered with all the action you might have missed:
Olympics medal tracker | Schedule
Champs are here
The first-ever Olympic women's 3x3 basketball gold-medal team is here, to be exact. The U.S. squad of Stefanie Dolson, Allisha Gray, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young got it done, beating the Russian Olympic Committee squad 18-15 for the title. Plum secured the team's lead with five points early.
The Las Vegas Aces star, whose Tokyo triumph came after rehabbing from a torn Achilles tendon last summer, led all scorers in the tournament. She finished with 55 points over the course of the five-day event in which Team USA played nine games and lost only one.
🥇 GOLD IT IS 🥇
— USA Basketball 3x3 (@usab3x3) July 28, 2021
The U.S. Women take gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games!
🇺🇸 #USAB3x3 x #Tokyo2020 #3x3 pic.twitter.com/5wpVd1KSgA
That's GOLD and #OlympicHERstory for @usab3x3 as they take the win over the ROC 🥇 pic.twitter.com/YOQzzdZwWJ
— On Her Turf (@OnHerTurf) July 28, 2021
Y'ALL KNOW HOW WE DO 🇺🇸🏀 LOVE MY TEAM🤞🏽
— Kara Lawson (@karalawson20) July 28, 2021
Yeah, what Kara Lawson said.
Former Olympian and current Team USA women's basketball coach Dawn Staley was also quick to send her congrats to the squad, and Coach Lawson, for the historic win.
Congrats @usab3x3 @Graytness_15 @bigmamastef @JackieYoung3 @Kelseyplum10 @karalawson20 on winning the first GOLD medal of 3x3 competition! Way to represent ladies!! U S A! U S A!
— dawnstaley (@dawnstaley) July 28, 2021
Could there be a dynasty brewing? That was a rhetorical question.
Gold-medal game energy
Team USA's women's 3x3 hoops team came to win. The squad -- Gray, Plum, Dolson and Young -- was dominant throughout its Tokyo run. The foursome headed into Wednesday morning's gold-medal game against the ROC as the lone team with just a single loss.
Good morning, #TeamUSA fans.
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) July 28, 2021
Who's ready for some @usab3x3 gold medal game action? #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/rzL8MsBDYZ
The team also brought some serious support from back home to the championship contest, courtesy of Gray's Dallas Wings:
Thank y'all ❤️❤️❤️ https://t.co/r03hkP4vJM
— Allisha Gray (@Graytness_15) July 28, 2021
As for Plum? She was just having fun. Pretty impressive for someone who had surgery for a torn Achilles tendon last summer.
Basketball is fun 😉 #tokyo pic.twitter.com/klzaNd4EBa
— Kelsey Plum (@Kelseyplum10) July 26, 2021
Hashimoto takes gold
Make that 13 gold medals and counting for Japan. Daiki Hashimoto claimed the men's gymnastics all-around crown after a nail-biter of a final Wednesday -- we're talking 0.400 between gold and silver. The 19-year-old narrowly edged China's 2017 world all-around champion, Xiao Ruoteng, with a total score of 88.465 compared with Ruoteng's 88.065.
It was Japan's third consecutive Olympic men's gymnastics all-around title, with Kohei Uchimura having won gold in London 2012 and Rio 2016 (Uchimura opted not to defend his title in Tokyo).
ROC's Nikita Nagornyy, the reigning world all-around champion, took bronze with a score of 88.031.
HASHIMOTO Daiki wins the #gold for #JPN in the #artisticgymnastics men's all-around final!#StrongerTogether | #Tokyo2020 | @gymnastics pic.twitter.com/KQvchMJtKN
— Olympics (@Olympics) July 28, 2021
Mikulak and Malone have some famous fans
Ultimate teammates. Simone Biles and MyKayla Skinner were front row to cheer on U.S. men's gymnastics breakout star Brody Malone and veteran Sam Mikulak during the individual all-around final Wednesday morning.
Up front cheering on our guys! 👏 🇺🇸
— USA Gymnastics (@USAGym) July 28, 2021
Let's go Sam (@SamuelMikulak) and Brody (@brody1700)! #StrongerTogether #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/9AP71kxWTA
Malone and Mikulak finished in 10th and 12th place, respectively.
Some fast times in the pool
Wednesday's action started with some blazing times in the women's 200-meter breaststroke. What else is new?
.@_king_lil breaks a personal record while her and @lazorlaze go 1️⃣ - 2️⃣ in their 200m breaststroke heat 👑#TokyoOlympics x @TeamUSA x @usaswimming pic.twitter.com/teeNeT4JDf
— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) July 28, 2021
Tatjana Schoenmaker of South Africa sets a new OLYMPIC RECORD in the 200m breaststroke at the #TokyoOlympics! 🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/I4fK7wCfqc
— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) July 28, 2021
U.S. men's basketball blows out Iran
The U.S. men's basketball team rebounded from Sunday's stunning loss to France by blowing out Iran 120-66 on Wednesday.
Damian Lillard scored 16 of his game-high 21 points in the first half, while Kevin Durant moved within five points of tying Carmelo Anthony's all-time USA Olympic scoring record by registering 10 points to go along with five rebounds and five assists.
Kevin Durant watch. 👀
— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) July 28, 2021
With this dunk, he's five points away from Carmelo Anthony. @TeamUSA @PeacockTVhttps://t.co/FmEtvutDRA
NBC Sports pic.twitter.com/vSmJEDRXgi
After squandering a double-digit second-half lead in an 83-76 loss to France on Sunday, the Americans started strong, ending the first quarter on a 23-5 run and leading 60-30 at halftime.
Devin Booker scored 16 points, Jayson Tatum added 14 and Zach LaVine tallied 13 for the U.S., which next plays the Czech Republic on Saturday at 7 a.m. ET. The U.S. shot lights out from deep, hitting 19-of-36 3-pointers in the victory. Lillard led the charge, becoming the fourth American to hit seven 3s in an Olympic game. -- Matt Eisenberg
Biles pulls out of all-around
Simone Biles has withdrawn from Thursday's all-around competition. According to a statement from USA Gymnastics, the decision was made after a medical evaluation.
Biles was scratched from Tuesday's team final after vault, her first event of the night. She cited her mental health as the reason when speaking to the media after the meet.
After further medical evaluation, Simone Biles has withdrawn from the final individual all-around competition. We wholeheartedly support Simone's decision and applaud her bravery in prioritizing her well-being. Her courage shows, yet again, why she is a role model for so many. pic.twitter.com/6ILdtSQF7o
— USA Gymnastics (@USAGym) July 28, 2021
Biles was the defending champion in the event and had been the overwhelming favorite to repeat. But her status was left in doubt after Tuesday's outing, and she told the media she wasn't sure if she would be able to compete Thursday. -- D'Arcy Maine
Ledecky gets sixth career gold; Sullivan takes silver
Ledecky won the first gold medal of this Olympics campaign Wednesday in the debut of the women's 1,500-meter freestyle.
About 70 minutes after competing in the women's 200-meter freestyle race, in which she finished in fifth place, Ledecky showed no signs of fatigue and took control of the 1,500-meter race from the start. She cruised to victory with a time of 15:37.34, more than four seconds ahead of silver medalist Erica Sullivan, also of the United States.
Germany's Sarah Kohler took home the bronze.
Ledecky's American teammates chanted, "U-S-A, U-S-A," from the stands at the Tokyo Aquatic Center as she approached the wall to clinch the victory.
Ledecky has been touted as one of the faces of the Games, and expectations were high for the 24-year-old to add to her collection of five gold medals. She won the silver medal in the 400-meter freestyle earlier in the week. -- D'Arcy Maine
OLYMPIC HISTORY IS MADE‼️@katieledecky wins the first-EVER Olympic gold medal in the women's 1500m free and teammate Erica Sullivan wins the silver.@TeamUSA x #TokyoOlympics #OlympicHERstory pic.twitter.com/fTLlcWFgEg
— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) July 28, 2021
PURE. DOMINANCE.
— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) July 28, 2021
Katie Ledecky is the first Olympic champion in the women's 1500m freestyle! #TokyoOlympics #OlympicHERstory pic.twitter.com/3LzAdPOsT8
Katie Ledecky's historic gold in the women's 1500m free is also the 250th gold medal for the U.S. Olympic swim team 🥇 #TokyoOlympics | #OlympicHERstory pic.twitter.com/qcwm4nlW87
— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) July 28, 2021
That's one way to motivate
German judoka Martyna Trajdos found an intense way to get into the zone before her 63-kilogram match with Hungary's Szofi Ozbas. The motivation went viral, but it wasn't enough for Trajdos to win her round of 32 match.
A czo tu się odpoliczkowało w ogóle?! pic.twitter.com/mX2r9rMMTA
— Mischa Von Jadczak (@michaljadczak) July 27, 2021
German judoka coach Claudio Pusa has since been given an "serious official warning" after this footage made the rounds on social media.
"The IJF addressed a serious official warning towards the German coach, concerning the bad behaviour he showed during the competition," the IJF said in a statement. "Judo is an educational sport and as such cannot tolerate such behaviour, which goes against the judo moral code."
U.S. men's volleyball bests Tunisia
The United States men's volleyball team defeated Tunisia in four sets, moving the Americans to 2-1 in Pool B. They dropped the second set before holding off their opponents. The U.S. will resume pool play on Thursday with a match against Brazil.
We got the dub! @TJDeFalco scores 24, Taylor Sander gets 17 and @MaxwellHolt with 16. And how about @mitchstahl coming in late for 8 points! 3-1 win over Tunisia 🇹🇳. #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/XV4YlfKgpJ
— USA Volleyball (@usavolleyball) July 28, 2021
Virginia duo medals in 200 IM
Having one Olympian is a big deal for a university. Two is even bigger. Two in the same event, both who ended up on the same medal podium? Welcome to the University of Virginia's world.
Cavaliers swimmers Alex Walsh and Kate Douglass earned silver and bronze in the 200-meter individual medley on Tuesday, finishing just behind Japan's Yui Ohashi.
2⃣medals, 1⃣ race!
— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) July 28, 2021
Alex Walsh🥈 and Kate Douglass🥉 take home silver AND bronze for @TeamUSA in the women's 200m IM! #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/YoL4nQmeJM
UVa was understandably pumped.
Two more Americans & Hoos on the podium!! @UVASwimDive stars Alex Walsh and Kate Douglass won silver and bronze, respectively, in the 200 IM!!#GoHoos | #Tokyo2020 | #TeamUSA
— Virginia Cavaliers (@VirginiaSports) July 28, 2021
📸 @GettySport pic.twitter.com/tMJHkarBcp
This race caps a big year for Walsh and Douglass, who helped lead Virginia to the NCAA championship earlier this year.
Australia's Titmus sets Olympic record
In the first of her two swimming events on Wednesday at the Tokyo Aquatics Center, Katie Ledecky finished in fifth place during the women's 200 meter freestyle. She was the reigning Olympic champion in the event.
Ariarne Titmus of Australia won the gold medal with a time of 1:53.50, a new Olympic record. Siobhan Bernadette Haughey of Hong Kong and Penny Oleksiak of Canada took home the silver and bronze, respectively. Ledecky's time of 1:55.21 was more than a second-and-a-half behind the winning mark.
OLYMPIC RECORD.
— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) July 28, 2021
Australia's Ariarne Titmus sets an Olympic record to win gold in the women's 200m free. #TokyoOlympics
📺 NBC
💻 https://t.co/M0BT3R7UOp
📱 NBC Sports App pic.twitter.com/IVHIavtdlP
Ledecky got her sixth career gold in the inaugural Olympic running of the women's 1500 meter freestyle later on Wednesday. She won the silver medal in the 400 meter freestyle earlier in the week -- also losing to Titmus. -- D'Arcy Maine
Titmus' coach, Dean Boxall, was slightly excited for his swimmer.
Australia's Ariarne Titmus' coach is back to bring the hype and her family is virtually joining in on the celebration. #TokyoOlympics
— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) July 28, 2021
📺 NBC
💻 https://t.co/M0BT3R7UOp
📱 NBC Sports App pic.twitter.com/XSsrKkOmbv
Chiles getting after it
Jordan Chiles was put on the spot on Tuesday when Simone Biles withdrew from the women's team all-around gymnastics competition. While the Americans weren't able to catch the Russian Olympic Committee for the gold, Chiles performed well and showed some killer dance moves, to boot.
What song is @ChilesJordan singing to??@TeamUSA x #TokyoOlympics
— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) July 28, 2021
📺 NBC
💻 https://t.co/M0BT3R7UOp
📱 NBC Sports App pic.twitter.com/ao7vITJCYZ
The dancing continued on the podium.
#BilesNChiles ❤️@TeamUSA x #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/5l9YdO4QeY
— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) July 28, 2021
Learning about Lydia
Lydia Jacoby's gold medal in the 100-meter breaststroke was a surprise, so it's time to get to know the young Alaskan swimmer. She provides some notes below.
Did you know 17-Year-Old Lydia Jacoby plays the standup bass? And she was born on Leap Day?
— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) July 28, 2021
Learn more about Lydia in this episode of 'Fast Facts'. #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/hLyx3u6E0b