My Favorite Highlights and Drama From Day Five of the Paris Olympics
Big news on day five of the Olympics: the Seine was declared safe for swimming. In the world of table tennis, one of those "only at the Olympics" moments happened between the athletes of North and South Korea, and the Internet fell in love with the cheese gymnast.
The Seine declared safe for swimmers
Hopefully, the drama over dangerous levels of E. coli in the Seine has ended forever. After a couple of canceled practiced in the morning, Paris's iconic waterway was declared safe for Olympic competition, allowing both the mens and women's triathlons to be held today.
Great Britain's Alex Yee won the individual triathlon gold, coming from behind in the last moments of the race to snatch the gold medal from New Zealand's Hayden Wilde. Hometown boy Leo Bergere won bronze. France's Cassandre Beaugrand took home gold in the women's individual triathlon, followed by Switzerland's Julie Derron and Britain’s Beth Potter.
Athletes from North and South Korea pose for photo
Credit: Cyrus Janssen/X
Olympic level table tennis is ridiculous. It's impossibly fast to watch, let alone play. Today North Korea’s mixed double team of Kim Kum-yong and Ri Jong-sik shocked the world by winning silver after being initially ranked 16. South Korea’s team of Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yu-bin took the bronze, losing to China’s Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha.
But the real drama happened on the podium, when the athletes from the warring nations of South and North Korea met and got together to take an iconic, even historic selfie with each other.
Cheese-loving gymnast Giorgia Villa wins silver
Credit: Giorgia Villa-Instagram
At this year's Olympics, Italy won its first medal in team gymnastics in over 100 years. But the internet was more interested in the cheese.
Italian gymnast Giorgia Villa is sponsored by a Parmesan cheese company, so there are tons of pictures on Villa's Instagram of the athlete eating pieces of cheese in the gym, eating pieces of cheese while in a track suit, and joyously throwing pieces of cheese in the air.
This is strange and mildly delightful, so the internet reacted with an outpouring of admiration and gawking. And isn't admiration and gawking what the Olympics is about?
What to watch on day six: Simone Biles's big day
If you're into big Olympic events, do not miss gymnastics on day six. Simone Biles is looking for a sixth USA gold in the women’s all-around. Her main competition is likely to come from Brazilian Rebeca Andrade, and Biles' teammate and defending Olympic champion Suni Lee. The women's all-around final begins at 12:15 pm ET on August 1.
Of course, Biles isn't the only show in Paris. Check out NBC's schedule for a look at more Olympic events.
The entertainment value of the Olympics was further enhanced on day five, with the unexpected victory of North and South Korean table tennis players in their mixed doubles match, and the Internet's adoration for the cheese-loving Italian gymnast Giorgia Villa. Despite the Seine being declared safe for swimming, the triathlons took center stage, with Great Britain's Alex Yee winning gold in the men's event and France's Cassandre Beaugrand taking home gold in the women's competition.
