Key events
We will have more reaction to Andy Murray shortly but a reminder that the track and field events start tomorrow:
Andy Murray also spoke to the BBC and when asked about retirement he said: “I don’t know what the next chapter is going to look like yet.”
He also says he will hunt for more pins tonight. He collects athletes pins and Clare Balding said earlier on he got GB gymnast Beckie Downie to get one from Simone Biles. I’d quite like to see the collection.
Team GB says goodbye to a legend:
GB’s Kye White has said he is suffering from back pain. He said he had been heading into the Olympics but it had temporarily went. However, it started again during his quarter-final heats today. He tells the BBC he is going to the physio now to try and put things right ahead of the semis.
Tumaini Carayol
As the sun set over the stadium on a quiet Parisian night, one of the greatest sporting careers Great Britain has produced came to an understated ending as Andy Murray was defeated for the last time.
After a week of delirious, crazy comebacks that presented a perfect summation of a waning career that has been filled with them, Murray and Evans were defeated by two of the best in the world, losing 6-2, 6-4 to Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul of the United States in the men’s doubles quarter-finals.
Read more:
Some news from earlier in the day from the BMX competition, GB’s Kye White and Beth Shriever are through to their respective semi-finals.
I’ve been told a fun fact by my colleague Tom Lutz. He tells me with that silver medal from the 4x200m freestyle relay, the USA’s Katie Ledecky has the most Olympic medals for a female swimmer with 13.
I promised you some Andy Murray quotes and here they are. When asked how he felt he told Eurosport: “Disappointed with the result, we didn’t play well enough to get through, but we fought right to the end, almost found something, but left ourselves too much to do. I’m happy to have finished with an exciting run, we gave it our best effort.
On retiring: “A few months ago, I was not looking forward to it. I love playing tennis … but after the operation on my back before Queen’s, I was struggling to walk; physically it’s been tough. I’m not able to move around the court, and compete to the level that I want to. I was worried what I would do with myself, but I’m happy that I’m finishing now.”
On his career: “I’m proud of my career, I worked really hard to achieve the results I did, at a really difficult time to win major finals. I gave it a good go, put my body through a lot … looking forward to a rest now.”
And Dan Evans added: “Everything I thought and more – Olympic team event, a chance to play doubles at his last tournament, the effort to get on the court and really give it a go. It’s something I’ll cherish forever.”
That post has just reminded me, amid the madness, I didn’t update you on the Novak Djokovic match. The 24-time Grand Slam winner knocked out Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-6.
Casper Ruud was knocked out of the men’s singles tennis earlier today but he is already onto his second love: golf. Have a read of his tweet:
Hey @Olympics would it be possible to have 3 tickets for the golf event tomorrow?🙏 The athletes website for ticketing is down..
Thank you in advance! #Paris2024— Casper Ruud (@CasperRuud98) August 1, 2024
Australia did not get the world record but it was a new Olympic record. Wow. What a swim.
The silver goes to America and China take bronze.
GB’s Freya Colbert, Abbie Wood, Freja Anderson, Lucy Hope ended in fifth.
Australia 4x200m freestyle relay gold with Olympic record
What. A. Race. Australia and the USA were close but it is the Aussies who take it.
Australia get off to a good start, though the field was close, and they lead after the first 200m – Mollie O’Callaghan with a monster last 50m with Aussie ahead of the world record at this point.
In the second 200m Lani Pallister maintained their course to break the record but China started to push Australia.
Brianna Throssell took Australia’s third 200m started to fall outside of the world record but did keep the team in the lead but only just with the USA’s Katie Ledecky absolutely storming.
Ariarne Titmus took the final 200m for Australia with a huge battle between Australia and the USA. Titmus put in the afterburners in the last 100m to leave the USA behind her. No world record but a gold medal.
The Queens club have honoured Andy Murray:
Next up in swimming we have a medal event in the 4x200m freestyle. I can imagine Australia and American are the favourites for this one.
The second semi-final in the pool has France’s Leon Marchand and the crowd has gone crazy as he walks out. Marchand is leading from the change after the first 50m. The Frenchman keeps extending his lead and he seals the win in the semi. Marchand records a time of 1:56:31, Japan’s Daiya Seto and Canada’s Finlay Knox is third.
Both British of Dean and Scott are through to the final.
USA wins women’s team foil
The USA have beaten Italy 45-39 in the women’s team foil fencing to take the gold medal.
The final was a 66 minute thriller but it has given Lee Kiefer her second gold of the games after also winning the individual event.
GB’s Tom Dean and Duncan Scott are in the first 200m individual medley semi-final. The field was close together but the USA’s Carson Foster lead throughout. Foster finished first with 1:56:37, GB’s Scott came in second and China’s Shun Wang in third. GB’s Dean in fourth and we wait for the other semi to finish to see if they both qualify for the final.
Just a thought before we get back to the pool. If Andy Murray had come after or before the Big Three of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic, how many Grand Slam would he have won? That’s why he is so impressive, to break through and become a serial winner in amongst such huge icons. He is an icon himself.
Next up in the pool is the men’s 200m individual medley semi-finals. I’ll also bring you any quotes from Andy Murray as soon as we have them.
How surreal it feels to know we will never see Andy Murray on a tennis court as a professional player again. I think Simon McMahon sums up the feeling well:
This really is the end for Andy, isn’t it? I can hardly believe it, the last time I’ll be emailing a Guardian live blog while Andy Murray is still a professional tennis player. I know it’s much harder for him etc etc. London 2012 was special, but his win against Del Potro in Rio four years later is one of my abiding Murray memories. An absolutely brutal match at the start of what would be Murray’s incredible run of tournament victories leading ultimately to his ascent to World No. 1, before injury eventually took over. It’s been quite a ride, thanks Andy.
Andy Murray doesn’t look too crestfallen, his final match being an Olympic doubles quarter-finalist is thoroughly impressive – especially after all of his injuries. Dan Evans is in tears, Murray goes into the court and the crowd are chanting his name. He waves to the supporters and Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul applaud him. Before he leaves the court for the last time he signs things for fans and one can be heard saying “you’re a legend”.
Murray and Evans out
Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul knock-out Andy Murray and Dan Evans in the men’s doubles which means Murray’s professional tennis career is over.
The Americans have been absolutely impeccable in the match and the Brits just couldn’t match them. They put up a fight towards the end of the second set but it was just a bit too far out of reach.
But Murray can be proud. He leaves tennis as a three-time Grand Slam winner and a double Olympic gold medallist.
Back to the tennis and The Brits hold! They didn’t make it easy for themselves but the second set is now 5-4 in the Americans favour. Murray and Evans have to break again to stay in the match.
Women’s swimming: The semi-finals of the 200m backstroke have taken place with American Phoebe Bacon winning the first with a time of 2:07:32, her compatriot Regan Smith was third and Canadian Kylie Masse second.
In the second semi Australia’s Kaylee McKewon won with a time of 2:07:57, GB’s Honey Orsin was second and China’s Xuwei Peng was third. Another GB hopeful Katie Shanahan was fourth with both Brits making the final.
Every time we go back to deuce I think ‘is this the start of the end of Murray’s career’? Every time he just says no. The Brits win advantage again. And then they break them! Wow, they couldn’t could they? Evans and Murray now serving to stay in.
The commentators keep saying the Americans are taking this seriously, of course they are as they want to progress. A semi-final spot is on the line. Murray and Evans have a fourth break point with advantage but the Americans save it once again.
Murray and Evans have not been at their best in this match but they seem to have found their form in this deuce battle. They have advantage again but we go back to deuce, wow. Murray wants to extend his career doesn’t he?
Back and forth to deuce we go but the British pair are back with advantage. On the edge of my seat.
Murray and Evans are unbelievable. On the precipice of going out, needing to win at 40-40 and they have pulled off a phenomenal rally to go an advantage up.
As soon as Evans and Murray break, Fritz and Paul break right back. The Americans are 5-2 up in the second set now and the Brits must break their opponents to stay in the competition.
South Africa’s Tatjana Smith wins silver and the Netherlands’ Tes Schouten claims bronze. What a race.
Douglass wins women’s 200m breaststroke gold
It’s an American record from Kate Douglass who records a time of 2:19.24.