The Morning: The Olympics have arrived

Plus, Charli XCX, Tasmania and "Trap."

View in browser|nytimes.com July 27, 2024 By Melissa Kirsch Good morning. The Olympics begin this weekend. Here's to becoming an instant fan for a fortnight. María Jesús Contreras Golden opportunity It has been only three years since the last summer Olympics: the 2020 Tokyo Games, you'll recall, were held in the summer of 2021. Time has been slippery since the pandemic began, anyway, even without reliable milestones moving around. Three years feels simultaneously like an eternity (think of how much has happened in the last three weeks) and a heartbeat (I've been just about to check out this playlist of "frat rock" recommended by Bruce Springsteen … for the past three Julys). Now the Olympics return with untold opportunities to geek out on sports you haven't thought about for several years, or ever. This is my favorite promise of the Games: You can pick an event — Canoe slalom? Surfing? Breaking? — and get up to speed in short order on the rules, the athletes, the gossip, the stakes. You can become a superfan instantly. Broadcast coverage of the Olympics makes this transformation easy. I'm a total sucker for a hyperemotional documentary featurette on that gymnast whose family sacrificed everything for her Olympic dreams. Take my attention and my heart, give me the thrill of sticking the landing and the agony of one tiny wobble on the beam. I'll admit I haven't been following the American swimmers that closely since Tokyo, but I've spent the past week reading up on Katie Ledecky's preparation for Paris — she's "trying to improve her kick" — so I can cheer her on with a fan's zeal. I never thought I could get excited about dressage, but after hearing the awe with which my colleague Alex Marshall talked about watching a gelding named Jagerbomb perform a move called a flying change, wherein the horse switches its lead leg in midair, I went straight to YouTube to see it for myself. "One of the strangest things I've ever seen an animal do," Alex had told me, and I concurred. I'll add that it is also strange and wonderful to see a horse perform such moves to a medley of songs by Tom Jones that includes "Sex Bomb." Alex wasn't a fan of dressage before he started reporting on it, but his enthusiasm was enough for me to add it to my roster of Olympic sports I'll follow with interest. I've tried to become a football fan for the Super Bowl, a basketball fan for March Madness, but there's always so much lore to catch up on, so much multiseason intrigue I've missed that true instant fandom seems out of reach. The Olympics make it easy to get on board. There are so many events and so many teams competing that it would be impossible to be a completist; this density rewards the passionate dilettante and the aficionado alike. The easiest way to become a fan fast? Ask a die-hard. My colleague Elisabeth Vincentelli played team handball as a child in France, and her knowledge of the sport is a little intimidating. But she gave me some rookie tips for how to get into it: As far as the mechanics of the game, think of it like dry water polo; keep an eye out for powerhouse teams from France and Denmark; watch the ball — players shoot it at the goal at an average of 80 miles per hour; and go to the bathroom before the match begins because the game moves so fast you won't want to look away for a second. Related: I spoke with Times reporters about how to become a fan of dressage, handball and artistic swimming. Have a listen. WEEKEND OLYMPICS GUIDE In Paris. Chang W. Lee/The New York Times The first weekend has a fairly busy schedule. Because of the time difference, events will generally begin before most of the U.S. is awake and run until 4 or 5 p.m. Eastern, with prime-time events, like the swimming finals, taking place in the midafternoon U.S. time. Here's what to look for (and how to watch): Saturday Beach volleyball has always been a strong event for the United States. The main attraction for this one, though, is the stadium, which offers perhaps the best view in the city. The women's 400-meter freestyle final is expected to be a thriller. Ledecky, the U.S. star, holds the Olympic record, but two swimmers — Summer McIntosh of Canada and the world-record holder, Ariarne Titmus of Australia — posted faster qualifying times than she did. Surfers will compete from Tahiti today. Sunday The qualifying round for the artistic gymnastics competition offers the first look at Simone Biles and her U.S. gymnastics squad. The U.S. men's basketball team — with an all-star roster — debuts against Serbia and Nikola Jokic, the N.B.A.'s reigning most valuable player. More on the Games Paris prosecutors are investigating arson attacks that sabotaged three high-speed rail lines, disrupting travel to the opening ceremony. No one has yet claimed responsibility. Under rainy skies, more than 90 boats ferried nearly 7,000 athletes down the Seine in an opening ceremony that blended history and art. Celine Dion, who has a rare neurological disorder, performed publicly for the first time since 2020. The N.B.A. star LeBron James and the tennis star Coco Gauff carried the American flag. Abandoning the traditional format — a parade of athletes marching into a stadium — made the ceremony both more entertaining and more bloated, our T.V. critic writes. Team U.S.A. wore Ralph Lauren-designed navy blazers and jeans, an ensemble "suffused with somewhat outmoded prepster déjà vu," our chief fashion critic writes. Take a quiz to guess the speeds in eight sports. (Does the javelin, the discus or the badminton birdie travel faster?) A dirty secret of Olympic swimming? Everyone pees in the pool, The Wall Street Journal reports. Dorie Greenspan has the perfect French snack suggestions for your watch parties. Read The Times's full coverage of the 2024 Paris Games. THE WEEK IN CULTURE Brat Summer A Kamala Harris meme.  via Aly McCormick Charli XCX's album, "Brat," is everywhere. Kamala Harris used the trend in her campaign and went viral. The album's lime green is the color of the summer, and it's bigger than Barbie pink was last year, Callie Holtermann writes. "I will aspire to be brat," Jake Tapper said on CNN. Watch newscasters learn about the trend (and look old while doing so). Music Billy Joel performed his 150th show at Madison Square Garden. Fans bought a lot of merch. Olivia Rodrigo excited fans in Lexington, Ky., by bringing the country artist Tyler Childers onstage. They sang one of his songs, Billboard reports. Art Native modern art is on display at the Met. Our critic calls it "symphonically bicultural." The artist Helen Marden's new paintings at the Gagosian show her working through the loss of her husband. Loren Long has illustrated children's books by Barack Obama and Madonna. His new best seller, "The Yellow Bus," went in a different direction. Other Big Stories The internet has recently become obsessed with a hot weatherman in New York. See photos of him in The Cut. Hollywood has been happy about the strong box office performance of "Twisters." The opera singer Klaus Florian Vogt's voice is a phenomenon, Jeffrey Arlo Brown writes. He is returning to the Bayreuth Festival to sing in the "Ring." A fourth woman accused Oren Alexander, a top luxury real estate agent, of drugging and sexually assaulting her years ago. Alexander has denied the previous allegations. THE LATEST NEWS Mexican newspaper headlines report the capture of Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada Garcia. Rodrigo Oropeza/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images The U.S. arrested Ismael Zambada Garcia, a founder of Mexico's notorious Sinaloa cartel, after his criminal ally's son lured him onto a plane and delivered him to U.S. officials. In years-old emails to a transgender friend, JD Vance, Donald Trump's running mate, called Trump a demagogue, described attending a Pride parade and wrote "I hate the police." The friendship later ended over Vance's criticism of gender-transitioning care for minors. Trump called Harris's remarks about the suffering of Palestinian civilians "disrespectful to Israel" after meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, at Mar-a-Lago. He later called her "a bum." The Federal Reserve's preferred measure of inflation continued to cool in June, setting the central bank up to cut interest rates later this year. Subscribe Today The Morning highlights a small portion of the journalism that The New York Times offers. To access all of it, become a subscriber with this introductory offer. CULTURE CALENDAR By Alexis Soloski 🎥 "Trap" (Friday): What's more frenzied: Murder or fandom? In the new thriller from M. Night Shyamalan, there are uvula-shredding screams — the sound of thousands of teenage girls seeing their pop idol in concert. (That idol, Lady Raven, is played by Saleka Shyamalan, M. Night's daughter, who also composed the songs.) That concert is the backdrop to a serial killer plot, in which a doting dad (the former teen dream Josh Hartnett) with a very disturbing hobby begins to suspect that all that arena security might just be for him. RECIPE OF THE WEEK Johnny Miller for The New York Times By Melissa Clark Peach Crisp A bubbling, syrupy fruit crisp is the perfect way to make the most out of seasonal produce, and it's an easy treat to throw together on a summer weekend. Yossy Arefi's peach crisp is a paragon of the form, with a crunchy oat and brown sugar streusel covering the fragrant filling. Yossy calls for peeling the peaches with a vegetable peeler (no pots of boiling water needed) to ensure the silkiest texture. But feel free to skip that part if it seems like a step too many (I never peel my peaches); the crisp will still be excellent, skins and all. REAL ESTATE Sierra Nguyen Marissa Leshnov for The New York Times The Hunt: She defied her parents and worked in art. Soon, she had enough money to buy an apartment in San Francisco. Which one did she pick? Play our game. What you get for $3.3 million in California: A 1927 Spanish-style house with a guest cottage in Los Angeles, an Arts and Crafts bungalow in Sonoma or a four-bedroom home with a guesthouse in Torrance. A diva of a staircase: After a lifetime of renting, they became buyers in London. See their home. LIVING In Tasmania. Anna Pihan Visit: Tasmania, an Australian island with wild saunas and pagan festivals. Bites: Avoid chiggers with these expert tips. Breast cancer: A large study found that for most patients, having both breasts removed after cancer was detected in one made no difference in their survival. Travel: Spend 36 hours in Nice, France. ADVICE FROM WIRECUTTER The case for a backpack cooler Coolers have come a long way in the last decade. As a result, there's really no excuse for warm drinks or spoiled food. A well-insulated backpack cooler makes it even easier to carry your vittles long distances while keeping them cold. It may not sound like much, but being able to throw a pack of cans on your back and trek them out to friends far down the beach on a hot day can feel almost magical — a true act of kinship. NOW TIME TO PLAY Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangrams were conductor and nonconductor. Take the news quiz to see how well you followed this week's headlines. And here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku, Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your weekend with The Times. —Melissa Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for the Morning newsletter from The New York Times, or as part of your New York Times account. To stop receiving The Morning, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018