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There's been a ceremonial ritual in Paris where a notable former athlete or public figure makes three knocks to the ground to mark the beginning of an event.

The ritual hails from French theatre tradition and former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has just done the honours before the men's football final.

The game is taking place at the Parc des Princes, home of Paris St-Germain, as there appears to be another event booked for the Stade de France tonight.

And you can watch every kick right now on the BBC iPlayer.

Image source, Getty Images

Jonathan Jurejko
BBC Sport at Parc des Princes

Image source, BBC Sport

Rondos, keep-ups, speed ladders.

All the usual drills as France and Spain warm-up on a lush Parc des Princes pitch before they go for gold.

Thierry Henry looks a little tense as he mooches around and watches his French players.

Thought the France coach was the coolest man in football?

Henry has won the World Cup on home soil. This should be a piece of cake in comparison.

Nah, not with the weight of expectation of a first Olympic gold in 40 years hanging heavy.

Katie Falkingham
BBC Sport in Paris

Elinor Barker and Neah Evans are up shortly for Great Britain, competing in the women's madison. Need a reminder of what this event is?

A relay race on the track, two riders compete per team with points awarded for an intermediary sprint every 10 laps.

While one rider races, the other slows down to rest around the top of the track, before swapping places with their team-mate by the means of a handsling back into the action.

The classification is decided on the total of points won at the end of the race, with double points awarded for the final sprint.

Katie Archibald and Dame Laura Kenny won the very first madison Olympic title three years ago in Tokyo. Can world champions, external Barker and Evans keep it in British hands?

Seven straight Olympic golds for the US women's basketball team and they've made a strong start in their bid to reach a latest final.

They lead Australia 18-11 in the semi-final as the first quarter winds down.

Image source, Getty Images

Either France or Spain will break a 32-year absence when they claim their gold medal later.

Between 1936 and 1992, a European nation won every Olympic football tournament - but none have triumphed since.

Will it be red or blue that's celebrating in two hours' time?

Jonathan Jurejko
BBC Sport at Parc des Princes

A quick cycle across the Seine and I’ve arrived at the Parc des Princes for the blockbuster men’s football gold-medal match.

Any idea who’s playing?

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, BBC Sport

The French inflatable cockerels are milling about outside the home of Paris St-Germain.

As are Asterix, Obelix and thousands more wearing the blue, white and red Tricolore, whether it is football shirts, rugby jerseys, comedy hats or face paint.

Even bumped into our old friend Fred Sirieix darting into the stadium.

James FitzGerald
BBC News reporter in Paris

Image source, Reuters

How have athletes been protected from Covid during the Games?

That’s a question that Olympic chief Thomas Bach just faced during his final press conference of Paris 2024 – after American sprinter Noah Lyles revealed that he ran last night’s 200m final knowing that he had the virus.

Bach reiterated that Covid had been treated like “any other respiratory illness” during the Olympics, stating that there was “no obligation for any special measures” to be taken by competitors who had tested positive.

Lyles has said he will not run again during the Games. He was criticised by some for going ahead with the race – but got the backing of US officials.

Bach did not specifically address Lyles, but was satisfied “the general policies have been followed” by athletes during the Games.

A Paris 2024 spokesperson told me that organisers had been “regularly” reminding competitors of good practice if they had Covid-style symptoms, such as wearing a mask in the presence of others.

• 16:30: Basketball - women's semi-final (USA v Australia)
• 17:00: Track cycling - men's sprint final race one
• 17:00: Football - men's gold medal (France v Spain)
• 17:05: Track cycling - women's madison final (GB's Elinor Barker & Neah Evans)
• 18:00: Track Cycling - men's sprint final race two
• 18:30: Athletics - women's 4x100m relay final (GB in action)
• 18:35: Athletics - women's shot put final
• 18:35: Track cycling - men's sprint final decider
• 18:45: Athletics - men's 4x100m relay final (GB in action)
• 19:00: Athletics - women's 400m final (GB's Amber Anning)
• 19:10: Athletics - men's triple jump final
• 19:25: Athletics - heptathlon - 800m (GB's Katarina Johnson-Thompson)
• 19:55: Athletics - women's 10,000m final (GB's Megan Keith & Eilish McColgan)
• 20:45: Athletics - men's 400m hurdles final
• 21:30: Boxing - men's 92kg final
• 21:50: Boxing - women's 66kg final

Breaking new audiencespublished at 16:25 British Summer Time 9 August

16:25 BST 9 August

Breaking - b-girls round robin

Sonia Oxley
BBC Sport in Paris

One of the IOC’s main reasons for introducing breaking at these Games was to appeal to new and younger audiences.

There is a little boy doing handstands in the gangway, looking like he’s trying to copy France’s Syssy - mission accomplished!

Image source, Getty Images

Betty Glover
Reporter on 5 Live

So they do what they call a throw-down. A throw-down is 60 seconds of dancing. So basically you start with a round-robin group stage.

The top two from each group advance through to the knockouts and then you've got the quarters, semis and then final.

Ayumi is 41?! Get that b-girl's skincare routine, pronto!

Meanwhile, Australia's Raygun has just done some interesting moves in her second throw down. You know when you lie on your side on the floor and try and run in a circle? That one.

Unfortunately for the Aussie b-girl, France's Syssy takes that battle with 18 votes to nil.

Next up, Ami of Japan and Morocco's Elmanouny. A commanding display by Ami hands her both rounds and the top spot in Group C.

Image source, Getty Images

'Brilliant'published at 16:21 British Summer Time 9 August

16:21 BST 9 August

Breaking - b-girls round robin

Betty Glover
Reporter on 5 Live

Breaking is making it's debut at the Olympics and I didn't know a huge amount about this sport before I did my research.

I have personally never done breaking before but I just assumed that it would be full of quite a lot of young people but it's not! There is loads of competitors here, one of the best b-girls is 41-years-old from Japan called B-girl Ayumi, who's absolutely brilliant.

Image source, Getty Images

The starting line-ups for the men's football final have been named and the France attack continues to be led by Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta and ex-Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette, with Bayern Munich-bound forward Michael Olise to play a little deeper.

Lacazette is captain of Thierry Henry's side, whose top scorer is Mateta with four goals. He is level with Spain's Fermin Lopez, although it will take something special tonight for them to catch Morocco's Soufiane Rahimi as he is the tournament's leading scorer with eight.

Former Manchester City duo Eric Garcia and Sergio Gomez remain in Spain's starting line-up, which also features Barcelona's 17-year-old defender Pau Cubarsi.

Image source, Getty Images

• Team GB won their 14th medal of the Games when climber Toby Roberts scaled the heights to win gold in the boulder and lead event.
• In athletics, Katarina Johnson-Thompson remains in contention for a medal in the heptathlon, but needs beat Nafissatou Thiam by around 8.5 seconds in the 800m (19:25) to overtake her for the gold.
• GB's Max Burgin is into Saturday's men's 800m final but Ben Pattison and Elliot Giles miss out. Cindy Sember failed to finish in the women's 100m hurdles semi-final.
• Britain's 4x400m men's and women's teams are into their respective finals.
• Hector Pardoe came sixth in the men's marathon swimming, with Toby Robinson 14th.
• Ben Carlin missed the chance of gold in track cycling's men's spring, and will go for bronze at 17:04.
• Divers Yasmin Harper and Grace Reid finished fifth and 10th in the 3m springboard final.

So, in Group B, Logistx of the USA is top with two-round wins under her belt and 18 votes.

The American b-girl is back on the floor - with some flips and back handsprings added to her routine - against second-placed Nicka of Lithuania.

Now, this one is an entertaining battle, but it's b-girl Nicka who comes out on top. The Lithuanian moves above Logistx in the group.

Image source, Getty Images

Jonathan Jurejko
BBC Sport at South Paris Arena

Image source, BBC Sport

Watching the table tennis in the flesh is quite something.

The speed, reflexes and skill is incredible.

China are playing Sweden in the men’s team gold medal match - and the 6,500-seat arena packed with Chinese fans.

The noise is deafening as they constantly chant ‘Jiayou’, which I’m reliably informed is a ubiquitous way of expressing support.

Basically the Come on/Allez/Vamos of the Chinese.

The scene is a sea of red. If you’re Chinese without a five-star flag you’re in the minority.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Last night at the Bercy Arena, the USA men's basketball team booked their place in Saturday's gold-medal game - where they'll face France - but can the women's team do the same today?

Their opponents, Australia, will face a tough task in Paris, as the US team has medaled in every Olympics they have participated in, dating back to a silver at the 1976 summer Games in Montreal.

In total, USA have picked up nine gold medals - seven of them consecutively - one silver and one bronze.

Friday's other semi-final will feature hosts France and Belgium. Tip-off in that one is at 20:00 BST.

Here's GB's only gold medal of the day, won by 19-year-old Toby Roberts with a dramatic victory in the boulder and lead event.

Brollies and breakingpublished at 16:04 British Summer Time 9 August

16:04 BST 9 August

Breaking - b-girls round robin

Sonia Oxley
BBC Sport in Paris

Image source, BBC Sport

Oh dear, the brollies are out!

Postpublished at 16:04 British Summer Time 9 August

16:04 BST 9 August

Breaking - b-girls round-robin

Erm... it's fair to say that breaking's debut at an Olympic Games hasn't quite got your seal of approval just yet. Maybe one for the kids, this.

India of the Netherlands is the next b-girl to take a battle by two rounds to nil against Portugal's Vanessa.

The MC says something in French and the crowd cheers loudly. No idea what it was, but it must've been good.