The 10 showdowns and rivalries that will define the Games – MASHAHER

Aussie pair silver Olympic medallist Nicola Olyslagers and world champion Eleanor Patterson will be up against Ukrainian world record holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh for podium positions. The three know each other very well. In the last three world championships and Olympics, the trio have shared the medals. ROC’s Mariya Lasitskene took the gold at the Tokyo Games, while Mahuchikh took bronze and Patterson placed fifth, but World Athletics have disallowed Russian and Belarusian track and field athletes competing on the international stage while their countries’ war in Ukraine remains ongoing.

India v Pakistan in men’s hockey, medal matches Thurs 8 and Fri 9 August

India and Pakistan’s hockey rivalry is a book of many chapters, filled with periods of great success and failure for each. Between them, they share 11 Olympics gold medals and 11 Asian Games titles. The intensity really took hold when they first met as independent nations in the 1956 Olympics final in Melbourne.

They then met again the next final in Rome 1960 and seven more times at the Olympics, with Pakistan claiming victory four times, India twice, and one draw. The record’s in favour of Pakistan in Asian Games glory, too, with the country having claimed eight gold medals, while India have three. If they are both to reach the final in Paris, India will try and tip the ledger more favourably in their way but Pakistan will want to keep their record against their rivals going strong.

Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Britain’s Josh Kerr, men’s 1500m final, Wed August 7, 4.50am.

Keep an eye on Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Britain’s Josh Kerr. Ingebrigtsen has long dominated the event. That is, until he gets to the championships (so the ones that really matter) where he has been beaten, recently by Scotland’s Kerr. Adding fuel to the fire, the Norwegian is a bit of a rock star and all by accounts, the pair aren’t big fans of each other. Giving this away is a fair amount of trash talk made public. And just recently in May, Kerr upset Ingebrigtsen with a stunning upset victory at Prefontaine Classic in Eugene. Something Kerr will be keen to repeat in Paris while Ingebrigtsen will be after revenge. Also to keep an eye on here if Britain’s Jake Wightman, he could sneak up on the lot.

Australia vs Team USA in the pool, heats from 7pm, finals from 4am.

This rivalry is very real. Reignited by Cate Campbell’s “sore loser” comments last year, which made its way to NBC’s prime-time swimming coverage. After Nine’s Today host Karl Stefanovic said the Americans were, “sore, pathetic losers”, Campbell added “such sore losers… I mean, Australia coming out on top of the world is one thing, but it is just so much sweeter beating America.” Now add that team USA are stinging from their medal table defeat to Australia at last year’s world championships, where the Aussies won 13 to USA’s seven medals. In Tokyo, Aus won nine golds to USA’s 11. Particularly watch for Ariarne Titmus and Katie Ledecky’s head-to-head in the 400m on night one.

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Zac Stubblety-Cook vs Qin Haiyang, men’s 200m breaststroke, Thursday 6.15am.

Stubblety-Cook won gold in Tokyo in this event and backed it up in 2022 with a world championship gold in Budapest. But the narrative has changed. Stubblety-Cook lost his world record to Qin, who won the 50m, 100m and 200m breast in Fukuoka last year at worlds. It then emerged Qin was part of 23 swimmers who tested positive. There was also another positive test reported last week by NYT. Qin’s flown under the radar this year and it’ll be a spicy match-up. Adam Peaty from Great Britain has also been outspoken on the matter. There could be fireworks here.

US v Serbia, men’s basketball, Monday 1.15am, Lille.

Luckily for fans, these two were pooled together in the group stage. America has long dominated the court on the world stage but if they are to be challenged in Paris, Serbia are a major contender to do so, led by three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and NBA shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovic. Serbia has only one win over the USA in major tournaments, to America’s three, but it also was the last time they went head-to-head at the 2019 World Cup. In saying that, Team USA put Serbia to bed 105-79 in an exhibition game this month ahead of the Games, where Miami Heat’s center Bam Adebayo and Golden State Warriors point guard Steph Curry ran riot around the ring.

Australia v New Zealand, women’s rugby sevens, medal games from 3am Wednesday.

This all hinges on both Australia (pool B) and New Zealand (pool A) getting out of their group stages and meeting in the finals. But given the two have dominated the women’s game since its inception, winning three and seven world series titles respectively, you’d think there’s a good chance of that happening.

Australia won the first Olympic gold of the event in Rio but then New Zealand named the top spot in Tokyo. While both sides have stars across the park, the battle to watch here is between Aussie Teagan Levi and Kiwi Jorja Miller. They are the playmakers of their respective teams, while also big scorers and if nothing else, will provide moments for the highlights packages.

Joe Joyce v Bakhodir Jalolov, men’s boxing, +92kg final 6.51am Sunday Aug 11.

The stage is set to reunite two Olympic rivals, Britain’s Joe Joyce and Uzbek’s Bakhodir Jalolov. In Rio in 2016, Joyce was denied the gold medal in the super-heavyweight final after a controversial decision didn’t go his way.

He went home with silver but believed he was robbed. He beat Jalolov on his way to that final that year, but four years later, Jalolov won gold in Tokyo. The Uzbek arrives in Paris as the No.1 seed, after going unbeaten in his past 14 professional fights. But Joyce still wants the gold he believed was rightfully his eight years ago. Could be an interesting, and fiery, clash.

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