Photo: Collected
A mouthwatering 400m women's freestyle headlines the first full day of sporting action at the Olympics on Saturday after a soggy but spectacular opening to the Games in Paris.
Fourteen golds are up for grabs, with the first to come in the mixed-team 10-metre air rifle finals, taking place around 10:30 am local time (0830 GMT).
Tennis, badminton, rowing, cycling, hockey and basketball get under way along with the surfing competition, nearly 16,000 kilometres (9,950 miles) kilometres away on the French Pacific island of Tahiti.
Rugby sevens is already at the semi-final stage, with hosts France, led by Antoine Dupont, desperate to win gold in front of a packed and passionate Stade de France crowd.
All eyes will be on the Paris La Defense Arena for the women's 400m freestyle -- one of the most-anticipated events of the entire Olympics involving three swimmers who have held the world record.
Australia's defending champion Ariarne Titmus will dive in as favourite after clocking the second-fastest time ever last month behind only her own 3min 55.38sec world best.
She stunned US rival Katie Ledecky in an electric Tokyo final three years ago, with the American great gunning for revenge. The two go head-to-head in heat three in the morning session.
"I'm looking forward to the 400m free, day one. I like my chances," said the American, who is the undisputed queen over 800m and 1500m.
"I feel like I'm prepared and ready to race and that's all you can ask for."
Canadian teenage sensation Summer McIntosh, also a former world record holder, completes the hotly favoured trio. Other gold medals on offer on the first night of action in the pool come in the men's 400m freestyle and the men's and women's 4x100m freestyle relays.
Messenger/Disha
