Paris Olympics: USA's Regan Smith wins 3rd medal; Grant Fisher takes 10,000M bronze

Aug. 2 (UPI) -- Regan Smith won her third Olympic medal of 2024, while Grant Fisher became the second American man to reach the podium in the 10,000-meter run since 1964, helping Americans add six medals to their total Friday in Paris.

Team USA's total now stands at 43, seven more than second-place France . The French, who trailed the United States by 10 medals to start the day, earned an Olympics-best nine through Friday's events.

One of those was picked up by swimmer Leon Marchand, who won the men's 200-meter medley final. That victory gave Marchand his fourth gold of the Paris Olympics. He also won the 200-meter breaststroke, 200-meter butterfly and 400-meter medley.

"The crowd has been amazing, even tonight it was kind of crazy," Marchand told NBC. "I was more relaxed than usual because I won three gold medals before."

Kaylee McKeown outlasts Regan Smith to win ANOTHER gold medal for Australia. #ParisOlympics | NBC and Peacock pic.twitter.com/Bpj8SU4KGR — NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 2, 2024

While Marchand's four medals are the most in Paris, Smith and fellow swimmers Katie Ledecky and Torri Huske are among several athletes tied for second with three medals apiece.

Smith earned her third medal in Paris -- and sixth overall -- with a second-place finish in the women's 200-meter backstroke final. Australia's Kaylee McKeown won that event with an Olympic record time of 2:03.73. Canada's Kylie Masse placed third.

Sagen Maddalena earned first U.S. medal of the day with a second-place finish in the 50-meter rifle 3 positions women's shooting final. Switzerland's Chiara Leone won that event. China's Zhang Qiongyue earned bronze.

American sailors Ian Barrows and Hans Henken then won bronze in the men's skiff medal race. Spain earned the gold medal, while New Zealand won silver.

Team USA equestrians Laura Kraut, Karl Cook and McLain Ward earned a silver medal in the team jumping final. Great Britain won that event. France claimed a bronze medal.

Americans Casey Kaufhold and Brady Ellison beat Indian in the archery mixed team bronze medal match.

Smith then jumped in the pool for her second-place finish and third medal of the Summer Olympics.

You HAVE to watch this finish by American Grant Fisher in the men's 10,000m final! #ParisOlympics

NBC, E! and Peacock pic.twitter.com/TIkHabiTFj — NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 2, 2024

Fisher was responsible for the final American medal of the day, finishing with a season-best time of 26:43.46 for a bronze medal in the men's 10,000-meter event.

That medal was the second won by an American man in the event since Billy Mills took gold at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Galen Rupp (London 2012) and Lewis Tewanima (Stockholm 1912) are the only other American men to medal in the event.

Uganda's Joshua Cheptegei clocked an Olympic-record time of 26:43.14 to win gold for his third career medal Friday on the purple track of Stade de France. He was the silver medalist at Tokyo 2020. Ethiopia's Berihu Aregawi finished second with a time of 26:43.44.

In non-medal events, defending gold medalist Caeleb Dressel failed to qualify for the 100-meter butterfly. The Team USA star also finished sixth Friday in the men's 50-meter freestyle final, another event he won in Tokyo.

He teamed up with Regan Smith, Charle Swanson and Abbey Weitzeil to post the top time in qualifying for the mixed 4x100-meter medley relay final, which will be held Saturday in Paris.

In tennis, women's No. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland beat No, 67 Anna Karolina Schmiedlova of Slovakia in the singles bronze medal match at Roland Garros . Men's No. 2 Novak Djokovic of Serbia and No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz of Spain advanced to their singles finale with respective straight-sets semifinal victories Friday in Paris.

The Americans were eliminated by Morocco in the quarterfinals of the men's soccer tournament. Soufiane Rahimi, Ilias Akhomach and Achraf Hakimi scored in the 4-0 triumph at teh Parc des Princes.

In golf, Xander Schauffele fired a 5-under 66 in the second round of the golf tournament at Le Golf National. He now sits at 11-under for the tournament, which is tied for first place with Hideki Matsuyama of Japan and Tommy Fleetwood of Great Britain.

Matsuyama, the first-round leader, was 3-under in the second round. Fleetwood fired a 7-under 64. American Scottie Scheffler carded a 2-under 62 in the second round and is tied for 10th at 6-under for the tournament.

Fellow Americans Collin Morikawa (4-under) and Wyndham Clark (1-over) are tied for 19th and 46th, respectively.