Olympics 2024 chaos as event is DELAYED midway through due to technical issue and competitors complain

4 months ago 33

THE women’s speed climbing was delayed after a technical issue caused huge controversy.

Kelly Piper vs Zhou Yafei were first up at Le Bourget today in a race to the top of the wall.

The women’s speed climbing was delayed[/caption]

Officials paused the event and sent a mechanic up to fix the pressure pad[/caption]

The Chinese star flew up the left lane and thought she had touched the pressure pad first.

But she apparently did not make enough contact and the electronic timer failed to stop, allowing American Piper to claim a bizarre victory in just over seven seconds.

There was then more drama in the next race as again the timer on the left could not be stopped by the winner Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi.

Officials decided to delay the event and send a mechanic up the 15m climb to check if the equipment was working.

During the 20 minute pause, it was announced that the two climbers would be given a solo attempt to register a fair time.

Zhou, who had complained to officials after being a victim of the tech malfunction, returned to the wall and it was well worth the wait.

She tapped the pad in just 6.54 seconds – that was not only a new personal best but it broke the Olympic record.

Made Rita, the other aggrieved star and reigning world champion, then beat Zhou’s time, clocking 6.52 seconds.

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And the record kept being smashed in remarkable scenes as USA‘s Emma Hunt got to the top in 6.36 seconds.

Incredibly, the record was broken in three races in a row.

And the climbers were not done there, as just two races later Poland’s Aleksandra Miroslaw broke the world record, getting up the wall in 6.21 seconds.

It is just the second time climbing has been in the Games after it made it’s debut in Tokyo.

What's happening today at The Games?

WHAT TO WATCH TODAY

TODAY’S BRIT MEDAL HOPES

One of the hottest spectacles of Paris 2024 is the 1500m men’s final (7.50pm) – will it be gold for either Josh Kerr or Jakob Ingebrigtsen in their epic rivalry?

World champion Sky Brown, now 16, wants to upgrade her Tokyo bronze to Paris gold in the women’s park skateboarding final but is battling back from a dislocated shoulder (4.30pm).

Ben Maher on board Dallas Vegas Batilly is into the final of the individual jumping equestrian alongside Harry Charles and Scott Brash after coming through the 74-rider qualifying and could defend his Tokyo gold after already securing the team title in Paris (9am).

BRITS TO WATCH

Jack Laugher goes in the 3m springboard diving preliminaries with Jordan Houlden (9am) before Andrea Spendolini Sirieix goes in the 10m platform final (2pm).

Lewis Richardson is already guaranteed a bronze in the 71kg boxing but has his semi-final at Roland Garros at 8.45pm.

The women’s 200m gives Dina Asher-Smith a chance to make up for her disappointing 100m result (final 8.40pm).

Jack Carlin, Ed Lowe and Hamish Turnbull team up in the track cycling men’s team sprint today with the final at 7.10pm, hoping to wrestle back the gold they won in Beijing, London and Rio.

GLOBAL STARS TODAY

Emma Hayes’ USA women’s football team face Germany in the semi-final in Lyon (5pm).

Kellie Harrington will go for back-to-back Olympic gold medals in the ring with the Irish star’s 60kg final vs China’s Yang Wenlu at 10pm – two bouts after Imane Khelif’s 66kg semi-final.

FANCY SOMETHING DIFFERENT?

It wouldn’t be the Olympics without some wrestling would it?

There is both freestyle and Greco-Roman disciplines throughout the day at the Champ-de-Mars Arena in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.

STATS MAD

A Hoy Where? For the first time since Atlanta 1996, the Team GB cycling track team will neither feature a certain Sir Chris Hoy nor Sir Jason Kenny. Just the 16 Olympic medals between those two legends, 13 of them gold.

Follow all the action as it unfolds with our Paris 2024 Olympics LIVE blog.

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