Good Morning! Here’s what happened in the world of sports on Tuesday, August 6th.

OLYMPICS

Today’s Remix begins with an historic day on the track:

• The men’s 1500 meter race was billed as a two-man competition between Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Josh Kerr. American Cole Hocker took matters into his own hands… or I guess legs. Hocker blazed past the other runners in a glorious final stretch, winning an unexpected gold medal and setting an Olympic record. With Hocker’s gold and a bronze from Yared Nuguse, it was the first time since 1912 that two American men medaled in the 1500 meters.

• Soon after Hocker, Gabby Thomas won a gold medal of her own in the 200 meters. The American earned her first-ever victory in the event on the world stage.

Team USA

• One of the best parts about the Olympics is discovering world-class athletes in sports you don’t normally watch. Well, 20-year old Amit Elor remained undefeated in her last 39 international matches and took home a gold medal in wrestling. I’m new to wrestling, but Elor might already be one of the all-time greats.

• Did you know speed-climbing is an Olympic sport? In related news, Sam Watson is Spider-Man:

• Last but not least, Kevin Durant became America’s all-time leading scorer in Olympic competition as the US beat Brazil by too many points to count. As Charles Barkley said, “If this team loses, they can’t be allowed back in the country.”

Around the world:

• In the other men’s basketball quarterfinals, Serbia overcame a huge deficit to beat Australia. Nikola Jokic was able to outduel Patty Mills– that’s a serious statement, watch the clip. They’ll face the US in the semifinals. On the other side of the bracket, Germany handled Giannis and Team Greece, while the home country France upset Canada. French veteran Evan Fournier hit the dagger and sent the crowd into a frenzy.

• 14-year old Australian Arisa Trew won a gold medal in skateboarding. I have a feeling she’ll be around to defend her title at the LA competition in four years.

• Cuban wrestler Mijain Lopez became the first athlete to win five consecutive gold medals in the same event. The 41-year old retired after yesterday’s win– what a way to go out.

MLB

Doing something a bit different today– here are the top plays of the day, exclusive to Major League Baseball:

8: Elly De La Cruz had four hits for the second game in a row, and the Reds beat the Marlins 8-2. I know that’s not one play, but just be patient. The moments are on the way.

7: Astros starter Framber Valdez was one out away from a no-hitter… and Rangers shortstop Corey Seager blasted a two-run home run. Houston held on to win the game.

6: Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams hit a home run on a pitch that crossed the plate at eye-level. Abrams, James Wood, and the Nationals won in a matchup with the Giants.

5: Andy Pages delivered a laser to get Bryce Harper out at third base… but Harper and the Phillies beat the Dodgers 6-2. The win included a monster home run from Kyle Schwarber.

4: Blue Jays outfielder Joey Loperfido made this beautiful diving grab.

3: The San Diego Padres are winning a lot of baseball games lately. Manny Machado made an impact with this classic third baseman play up the line.

2: Ryan McMahon saw Machado and decided to do a slightly better version of his play. Can someone please take McMahon from the Rockies this offseason? He’s too good to be on that team.

1: For the first time since July 10, the Chicago White Sox won a game! The historic losing streak ends at 21 games in a row. One more day and the losses would have stretched from my dad’s birthday all the way to my mom’s (happy birthday Mom!)

NOTEWORTHY NEWS

Florida International University announced a stadium naming rights deal with Pitbull. That’s right, there will be college football games played at Pitbull Stadium in Miami. Get ready for tomorrow’s announcement, when the singer renames the school Florida International Love University– the place where students have the Time of Our Lives and drink lots of Fireball.

Big soccer news– Manchester City forward Julian Alvarez has agreed to a transfer to Atletico Madrid. The deal is for over $100 million, a record sale for the reigning Premier League champions.

Although an official announcement is not scheduled until Friday, it’s expected that the Braves and Reds will play a game a Bristol Motor Speedway next season. The Tennessee racetrack holds about 150,000 fans, so the odds aren’t great if you’re hoping to catch a foul ball.

Two stories from the NBA– after lots of trade speculation, the Utah Jazz have re-signed Lauri Markkanen to a five-year deal. And in news that surprised absolutely no one, Charles Barkley has un-retired, and will continue to work at TNT. I’m excited to see what sports the network uses Barkley for after they lose the rights to the NBA. Maybe tennis?

PLAY OF THE DAY

You thought I forgot about them, didn’t you? Oh no, no I did not… if an extra-time winner to advance to the gold medal game isn’t a play of the day, I don’t know what is:

One more win to bring it home.

TODAY’S BIG GAMES (all times Eastern)

MLB: Phillies @ Dodgers, 10:10 PM

• With two double-headers today, there are 17 MLB games for you to watch. The best one, though, is once again the last one on the schedule. We’re staying on the west coast to see the conclusion of a very entertaining series between the Phillies and the Dodgers; it might just be an NLCS preview.

OLYMPICS: We’re in the home stretch! Day 12 is here, and there are two huge events that The Remix is focused on:

• Track and Field: Men’s 400 meter final, 3:20 PM

  • Keep an eye on American Quincy Hall

• Men’s Volleyball: USA vs Poland, semifinals at 10 AM

You can check out the entire Team USA schedule– including women’s basketball against Nigeria– at this link:

“On Wednesdays we wear pink” -Karen, Mean Girls