Diving for gold
In a finish that blew us all away, Shaunae Miller of the Bahamas held on to edge American and reigning world champion Allyson Felix in the women's 400 meters by diving forward at the finish line. The scene was stunning from any camera angle we could get our hands on.
Not to be lost in the result is the fact that, with the silver, Felix passed Jackie Joyner-Kersee for the most medals by any U.S. female track athlete in history.
Earlier, Kenya's David Rudisha repeated as the men's 800 gold medalist, finishing ahead of the USA's Clayton Murphy — who claimed bronze for America's first medal in the event since 1992.
The sky opened up
Did we mention that all of the above was done in downright soggy conditions? Right in the middle of the evening track events, the stadium was subject to a total deluge.
Athletes were upset about it. Jamaica’s Deuce Carter, who had never run in the rain before, said he couldn't even see through the downpour. American hurdler Jeff Porter admitted that he was "pretty pissed" about the conditions.
In the end, competitors accepted the situation. “It rains on everybody else’s lane,” Porter added. “It’s not just raining on my lane."
Human after all
Simone Biles, with three Rio golds in tow already, couldn't make it 4-for-4, as a mistake on the balance beam left her with a bronze in an event she was favored to win.
“Simone is also a human being," U.S. coach Martha Karolyi reminded us. Biles wasn't too hard on herself either. "I think you guys want it more than I do," she told reporters. Besides, she's already focused on the floor final and a potential fourth gold.
Meanwhile, 16-year-old Laurie Hernandez, in her first senior international competition, took silver in the event. If the gymnastics world was looking for an upcoming break in American dominance, Hernandez's performance must have been crushing. “I’ve been to Tokyo," Hernandez said of the 2020 Games host. "I think that it would be really nice to go back and do a little Olympic thing there.”
Unexpected danger
An aerial camera and its cables fell about 65 feet in the Olympic Park on Monday afternoon, injuring seven.
One witness said there was "no blood," just "crying, crying, crying," and another described the injuries on the scene as "light," but at least two women were taken to the hospital.
The camera was owned by OBS, a not-for-profit arm of the International Olympic Committee, who promised a full investigation.
Raging waters
A controversial decision changed the podium of the women's 10-kilometer swim. Brazil's own Poliana Okimoto went from fourth place to a bronze medal when officials determined French swimmer Aurelie Muller illegally went over the top of Italy's Rachele Bruni.
With a Brazilian benefiting from the call, there was accusations of home cooking in the French media. France's sports minister declared the decision "a great injustice" on Twitter.
"There are many swimmers who are ‘dirty.’ If [Muller] had just swam, she would have gotten the bronze," said Okimoto, who added that she had "felt very good actually" with fourth.
