Olympics 2024 update: Bhaker bags bronze!

Researched by: Aarthi Ramnath, Anannya Parekh, Aakriti Anand & Raghav Bikhchandani

Olympics 2024 update: Bhaker bags bronze!

Unless you were living under a rock this past weekend, you’ll know that the Paris Olympics are underway and have already given us plenty to sink our teeth into—including our favourite moments from the opening ceremony. So let’s get to it…

India’s first medal is here! Manu Bhaker bagged bronze on Sunday in the women’s 10-metre air pistol final. The 22-year-old shooter got a big “monkey off her back”—she was expected to win a medal in Tokyo but failed to reach the final then. The secrets of her success: The Bhagavad Gita, Usain Bolt’s autobiography, and her coach Jaspal Rana:

Especially when I am on the firing line and nerves are taking over me. [Jaspal Rana] gives me examples of what Krishna said to Arjuna during hard times. He’ll keep giving such examples,” Manu said…“[Usain Bolt] talked about his nervousness before races, during a race and even after they are over. It was all very relatable. He talked about injuries, different phases of an athlete’s career. How his first Olympics were (eliminated in the first round in the 200m) and how he had a blast at his second Olympics!”

Bhaker’s bronze puts India on the medal board. We are now tied at #22 with six other nations. Maybe Bhaker can win us another in the other pistol events to come.

Scroll has her path to victory, Indian Express has more on her motivations—and The Telegraph offers a profile. See her in action below:

India’s mixed bag: Here’s the good/bad news for our contingent:

In tennis, Sumit Nagal lost 2-6, 6-2, 5-7 to France’s Corentin Moutet in men’s singles. Men’s doubles went worse—France’s Gael Monfils and Eduoard Roger-Vasselin thrashed Rohan Bopanna and Sriram Balaji in straight sets 7-5, 6-2.
In table tennis, it’s all over in men’s singles—stalwart Achanta Sharath Kamal fell 2-4 in a massive upset to Slovenia’s Deni Kozul. Harmeet Desai had no chance against 17-year-old home crowd favourite Felix Lebrun, losing 4-0. However, both Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula won their women’s singles matches.
In archery, our women’s team entered as the fourth seed but were knocked out by the Dutch in the quarter finals.
In boxing, Nikhat Zareen and Preeti Pawar dominated their bouts to reach the round 16 in their respective categories.
In shooting, Arjun Babuta and Ramita Jindal qualified for the 10-metre air rifle men’s and women’s finals respectively, but the other six Indian shooters involved failed to make the grade.
In hockey, the men’s team—who won bronze in Tokyo—laboured to a 3-2 win over underdogs New Zealand in their first group match, with four more to go.
In badminton, India had a strong showing with four wins and just one loss. But, but, but: The points for Lakshya Sen’s group stage win over Guatemala’s Kevin Cordón have been cancelled after Cordón dropped out of the tournament due to injury. Sen now has to start all over again for his remaining two group games.
In rowing, Balraj Panwar reached the quarter-finals in men’s single sculls. Here’s a little guide on what the different categories in Olympics rowing mean.

The Olympics website offers a useful daily schedule, including India-specific events.

An in-Seine ceremony: Rain threatened to play spoilsport, but Friday’s four-hour opening ceremony was a sight to behold. This X/Twitter thread recaps many memorable moments. Here are our favourites.

One: There are few athletes who are as synonymous with sport in Paris as Rafael Nadal—who won the French Open 14 times after all. Watch him receive the Olympic torch from fellow sporting legend Zinedine Zidane in this clip.

Two: Celine Dion made a jaw-dropping comeback with her cover of ‘L'Hymne à l'Amour’, sung from the Eiffel Tower. Why it’s extra awesome: She suffers from stiff person syndrome (SPS)—a rare neurological condition that can cause spasms and affect one’s ability to walk—and in Celine’s case, her ability to tour. Watch her unbelievable performance in this vid:

Kelly Clarkson later awarded Celine the gold medal for vocalists and we couldn’t agree more.

Three: Only the French will gleefully mock the most infamous bits of their history. Metal band Gojira teamed up with opera singer Marina Viotti to deliver a reimagining of French Revolution-era rallying cry ‘Ah! Ça Ira’ (‘It’ll Be Fine’)—sung by a headless Marie Antoinette!!! Let them eat metal, perhaps. Fun fact: they performed out of the Conciergerie—the prison along the banks of the river Seine that held Marie Antoinette before she was executed. The religious right-wing crowd was predictably upset at this blasphemy. Watch the spectacle in its full glory here.

Four: Drag queens were front and centre throughout the ceremony. Our fave: A campy take on Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘The Last Supper’. Yes, religious types were upset—and Olympics organisers have since apologised. Others have drawn connections to Dutch art from the 17th century. As you can see, it’s actually pretty tame:

Ambani sighting! Mercifully, India’s best known family did not stage yet another shaadi event at the Olympics. Mukesh-bhai and Nita-ben merely posed in front of the Eiffel Tower ahead of the ceremony—to warn inform everyone of their vacay plans.

Olympic costume hungama: The clothes designed by Tarun Tahiliani for the Indian contingent are unarguably ugly. But of course, Tahiliani insists on arguing otherwise. Ticked off at the criticism, he said:

I stand by my design, it was appreciated a lot in Paris. Let people say what they want. Perhaps it is time to focus on what really matters and that’s sport. In the end our athletes looked good, supported the tricolour and were cohesive and cool. It’s not a wedding. It’s sport.

FYI: An unhappy Jwala Gutta shared these lovely pics of her at the Rio Olympics—proving that bad/lazy design is not sporting at all:

In AI Olympics news: NBC embraced the machine—which is playing a starring role in its coverage. It features the AI-generated voice of a beloved broadcaster—offering daily Olympics recaps on streaming. Google’s Gemini is doing the work of a team of interns—helping anchor Leslie Jones keep all her facts at her fingertips. Vanity Fair and Hollywood Reporter have more.

As for the rest: Here are rest of the interesting bits to wrap this up:

The ‘Re-Dream Team’ redeemed itself by beating Serbia 110-84 in basketball—while Cinderella team South Sudan defeated Puerto Rico 90-79 but had to deal with Sudan’s national anthem being played before their game. Oops.
The surfing events are not being held in Paris—but on an island far, far away—as in Tahiti. The reason: The waves off the French coast are kinda crap.
Australian field hockey player Matt Dawson broke a finger on his right hand during team training two weeks ago. Recovery from surgery would have taken months—so he opted to amputate it instead. Eeks.

Some things to see: Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal on playing doubles for Spain—now that’s the real Dream Team:

Going viral: This bizarre jhagda at the Israel-Mali match:

Israel vs Hezbollah: Alarm bells of war

A rocket fell on a football field in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights—killing 12 children and injuring 30 others. Israel blames Hezbollah—the militant group that has been exchanging fire with the IDF on the Lebanese border. But Hezbollah strongly denies the charge—saying it was a misfired Israeli missile. Experts say irrespective of who launched the missile—this was definitely a mistake:

No party in the entire region has either a political interest or a military interest in targeting a kid’s soccer game in a Druze town in the occupied Golden Heights. And it’s also worth noting that there is a desire on both the part of Hezbollah and Israel to avoid a full-scale war.

Point to note: Golan Heights is Syrian land—taken by Israel during the Arab-Israeli war of 1967. The US recognized Israeli sovereignty over the land only in 2019—most of the world considers it “occupied territory.” Its residents include 20,000 Arab Druze who still consider themselves Syrians—plus another 20,000 Israeli settlers.

Is this war? Everyone is worried that the incident will be a trigger for an all-out battle. Tel Aviv said the armed group had crossed a “red line” and will “pay a heavy price.” It launched a series of missile strikes overnight—but for now, they look routine. The US is backing Israel—and called on Lebanon to keep Hezbollah in check. Meanwhile, the Iranian Foreign Ministry warned of “unforeseen consequences” if Israel escalates the conflict. Al Jazeera, New York Times, and BBC News have more.

Incendiary allegations about 2024 voter turnout

A report issued by Vote for Democracy shows an unexpected discrepancy in voter turnout numbers in the Lok Sabha elections. The NGO added up all the voter turnout numbers announced by the Election Commission for each phase of the election. Then the team compared that number to the final tally announced by the EC—which is 4.6 crores higher.

The kicker: The report also claims that these additional votes favoured the BJP-led NDA. They “may have won” 79 seats across 15 states. This includes an additional 18 seats in Odisha, 11 in Maharashtra, 10 in West Bengal, seven in Andhra Pradesh, six in Karnataka, and five each in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. The EC dismissed the claim—saying the final total is alway higher than figures released on polling day.

Point to note: Vote for Democracy is a Maharashtra-based NGO which includes activists Teesta Setalvad and Dolphy D’Souza. Check out the original report—or read the summary in Scroll.

Flooding deaths at a coaching centre

Our competitive exams will literally be the death of students. Three people died in a UPSC coaching centre in Delhi—when a drain burst flooding the basement. The underground floor served as a library—not cleared by building codes. There were 30 students trapped in the room. The coaching centre staff threw ropes to rescue them but those at the back could not be saved. As expected, there will be an inquiry and action will be taken etc etc. The Telegraph has student accounts of the tragedy. (Indian Express)

Speaking of Delhi water: A viral video shared by a resident shows foamy blue water coming out of bathroom taps. The person claims it has been happening for two weeks. A possible culprit: the local chemical and denim factories in the area. The blue water has also spilled into the streets. As always, the Delhi government has ordered ‘swift’ action etc etc. Watch the viral vid below: (Economic Times)

Imran Khan side hustle: Oxford chancellor?

The former Pakistan PM is running for the position from his prison cell. Votes will be cast online—by 2,50,000 colleagues and alumni. The position of the chancellor is largely ceremonial—typically held by noteworthy alumnus. The person elected serves for life unless they step down—like the 80-year-old Lord Patten—who resigned after 21 years in May. So will Imran Khan win? Unlikely, given his rivals are Tony Blair and Boris Johnson. (The Telegraph UK, paywall, The Print)

Terrible news for EVs

A McKinsey survey shows that nearly 30% of EV owners around the world are likely to switch back to cars that run on fossil fuels—such as petrol, diesel etc. In the US alone, that number is a whopping 46%. The most cited reason: the lack of charging stations. This is especially true for those for whom an EV is their only car. What this means: Adoption rates have stalled out and it is unlikely owners will buy another EV, say experts: “Once you turn someone off, it’s a lot harder to get them back. Their experience is already mired in negativity.” (CNBC)

Meanwhile in India: A separate survey reveals that the trend is very similar in India— about half of all EV owners (51%) want to switch back to gas-powered vehicles. Again: 88% had “charging anxiety”—which is understandable since there are only 20,000 EV charging stations in India. Times of India lists all the other reasons.

Global warming is making rain unpredictable

Landmark new research shows that global warming has made rainfall patterns more unpredictable over 75% of the planet—especially Australia, Europe, and eastern North America. Why this study matters:

Past studies of the observational record either focused on long-term average rain, which is not systematically changing globally, or rainfall extremes where changes are hard to measure accurately. This study looks solely at variability, which refers to uneven timing and amount of rainfall.

The Conversation explains why climate change affects rainfall patterns.

Confirmed: Francis Ford Coppola is a creep

The context: In May, The Guardian ran an exclusive on Francis Ford Coppola’s behaviour on the sets of his $120 million passion project ‘Megalopolis’—slated for release in September. Apart from goss on multiple delays and rewrites, sources also flagged Coppola’s “old school” behaviour towards women—allegedly pulling women to sit on his lap and kissing them on the cheek etc. But there wasn’t much of a backlash at the time.

What happened now: Viral videos from the set have surfaced, corroborating the reporting. They show the filming of a bacchanalian nightclub scene—which included

actresses “cleared for topless nudity.” A source revealed:

The filmmaker kept leaping up to hug and kiss several women, often inadvertently inserting himself into the shot and ruining it…The source said that after multiple takes, Coppola got on a microphone and announced in earshot of everyone in the room, “Sorry, if I come up to you and kiss you. Just know it’s solely for my pleasure.”

Eww. FYI: Coppola is 85 years old. Also this: Since the film was entirely funded by Coppola, there was no studio to keep him in check—and apparently no HR department either. Variety has the exclusive on Coppola. See the leaked vid below:

what caught our eye

business & tech

India now has 140,000 registered startups—with Maharashtra leading the pack–followed by Karnataka and Delhi. Interesting bit: UP comes in at #4.
Vistara will dole out free in-flight wifi on international flights
SEBI has barred disgraced Kingfisher baron Vijay Mallya from trading on the stock market.
Google’s AI machine DeepMind won the silver medal in the prestigious International Mathematical Olympiad—pitted against secondary-school students

sports & entertainment

Sri Lanka stunned India to win their first Women’s T20 Asian Cup. The Indian men fared better—beating SL in their T20 match—sealing the series 2-0.
Wall Street Journal confirms what none of us wanted to know: All Olympic swimmers pee in the pool.
Warner Bros is suing the NBA—because it inked a deal—selling all broadcasting and streaming rights to Amazon, Disney, and NBCUniversal. WB’s TNT channels have been broadcasting the games for 35 years.
‘Deadpool vs Wolverine’ smashed all US and global box office records for an R/A-rated film

as for the rest

Indian Express has a behind-the-scenes report on the war within the BJP—pitting Yogi Adityanath against his detractors.
An Indian astronaut will soon fly to the International Space Station—in a joint mission with NASA.
According to new government data, at least 633 Indian students have died abroad across 41 countries—over the past five years. The highest number were in Canada (172).

two things to see

One: Rejoice, MCU fans! Robert Downey Jr is back—five years after his beloved character Iron Man died in ‘Avengers: Endgame’. He will now be playing Iron Man's alter ego from another universe—Doctor Doom—in a new movie titled ‘Avengers: Doomsday’—helmed by the Russo bros. It is scheduled for release in May 2026. See the dramatic reveal at the San Diego Comic Con—ruined by the fan who guessed wrong lol. (Hollywood Reporter)

Two: We leave you with this viral video of a woman who casually walked into an office and rescued a snake from behind a computer. See the video here. (Indian Express)