American Excellence at Paris Olympics: Biles, James, and More Shine

On a sunny day at the Paris Olympics, Team USA stars Simone Biles and LeBron James shone brightly, with Biles leading the U.S. women's gymnastics team and James spearheading the men's basketball team. Haley Batten earned a silver in mountain biking, while the U.S. women's soccer team triumphed 4-1 over Germany.

— On the first sunny day of the Paris Olympics, the stars from the United States shined bright.

Simone Biles and LeBron James dazzled, so did the U.S. women's soccer team. Torri Huske grabbed some of the spotlight, and Haley Batten made a name for herself by earning a silver medal in mountain biking for the best finish ever by an American rider.

Although it was French swimmer Léon Marchand who received the most boisterous cheers in crushing the field to win gold in the men's 400-meter individual medley, the U.S. had a strong Sunday on Day 2 of the Games.

Simone Shines: Biles made her Olympic return three years after pulling out of multiple finals at the Tokyo Games to protect her safety, which prompted an international discussion about mental health, by powering through discomfort she felt in her calf to lead the U.S. women's gymnastics team into the finals.

In early qualifying, Biles, Suni Lee, and Jordan Chiles went 1-2-3 in the all-around, though Chiles will miss the all-around final due to rules that limit countries to entering two athletes per competition. Lee is practically a lock for the beam and bars finals, while Jade Carey is in a good position to join Biles in the vault final.

However, Biles drew all the attention, momentarily scaring the nation when she sought medical help after her floor exercise. Performing in front of a star-studded crowd, she had tweaked her calf during the warm-up, but U.S. coach Cecile Landi assured it was a minor injury. Celebrities like Tom Cruise, Jessica Chastain, and Lady Gaga watched in admiration, with Gaga posting on social media: 'She nailed it, what an honor to be so close!'

Tennis Veterans Win: Rafael Nadal, despite uncertainties about his condition, showed up at Roland Garros to secure a win against Marton Fucsovics, setting up a showdown with Novak Djokovic for their 60th encounter. Andy Murray extended his career with a win in doubles alongside Dan Evans, overturning an initial deficit.

LeBron James Leads Team USA: James and Kevin Durant led the U.S. men's basketball team to a dominating win over Serbia, starting their quest for a fifth consecutive gold medal. They combined impressively, with Durant scoring 23 points and James contributing 21 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds.

Pool Party: Torri Huske upset world-record holder Gretchen Walsh in the women's 100-meter butterfly, achieving a 1-2 finish for the U.S. Léon Marchand captivated the home crowd with an Olympic record in the men's 400-meter individual medley, while Nicolo Martinenghi shocked everyone by defeating record-holder Adam Peaty in the 100-meter breaststroke.

US Soccer Wins: In a dominant performance, Sophia Smith scored twice to lead the U.S. women's soccer team to a 4-1 victory over Germany. This win, coupled with an earlier 3-0 triumph over Zambia, positions the team well for advancing out of its group stage.

(With inputs from agencies.)