Paris Olympics 2024 LIVE: Antoine Dupont and rugby sevens kicks off Games

There are still a few days until the first medals are awarded in the French capital, but this is a useful one to store in your bookmarks for future use – The Independent’s medal table will be updated as the results come in from Paris with China looking to overhaul the United States at the top of three having ended one gold short of their rivals in Tokyo.

Boos from the home crowd at the Stade de France as the United States turn down the chance to chase victory with the scores locked at 12-apiece in Group C. It’s probably the pragmatic play with two third-placed finishers reaching the last eight and a very winnable game against Uruguay to come, but not a popular call among the sizeable crowd in at the capacious Saint Denis arena.

Antoine Dupont is trying his best to conjure something but the USA are narrowly in front at half-time at the Stade de France. Mike Friday’s experienced Eagles have defended excellently so far, having little of territory or possession but holding out for long periods before striking with their lone opportunity. They lead 7-5 – but this is a contest firmly in the balance.

A lifeline for Argentina in Saint Etienne thanks to a goal from Giuliano Simeone, son of Atletico Madrid boss and former midfielder Diego. They have 20 minutes or so to find an equaliser against Morocco.

A mighty roar as Antoine Dupont and the rest of the French sevens team emerge, the Stade de France bouncing as if it’s a Six Nations decider rather than an opening group game. The United States are the hosts’ first opponents.

Better news for Argentina’s sevens stars. Kenya battled hard but eventually fell to a 31-12 defeat in the pair’s rugby opener in Paris, with the fit-again Marcos Moneta scoring late on for one of the real favourites for men’s victory in the condensed format.

Next on the docket at the Stade de France – this man…

Well well well. A potential shock on the opening day of football competition with Morocco now 2-0 up on Argentina, who many felt might go well over the next couple of weeks. Soufiane Rahimi converts from the penalty spot to put the Atlas Lions on course for a significant win.

From Nicola Adams’ triumphant coronation at London 2012 to Galal Yafai’s mesmerising run through the flyweight ranks in Tokyo, Rob McCracken has presided over the most successful period in Great Britain’s Olympic boxing history.

McCracken’s 15-year reign as performance director, starting in 2009 as part of a major domestic overhaul ahead of London 2012 has yielded a total of 15 medals, the same number as the sum total from the 12 preceding Games stretching back to 1964.

But despite a truncated cycle and a mixture of politics and pandemics which he believes are a contributary factor to a team of just six qualifying for Paris – Team GB’s smallest boxing team since Amir Khan was the lone standard-bearer in Athens in 2002 – McCracken insists the picture is as bright as ever.

Team GB hockey player Tess Howard believes wearing the “right” kit in events like the Paris 2024 Olympics can “make the difference to feel like you belong on the world stage”.

It’s half-time in the two opening men’s football matches and we’ve had goals in both now.

First, Uzbekistan found a leveller just before the break against Spain, Eldor Shomurodov who plays for Roma in Italy, scoring that equaliser from the penalty spot to make it 1-1 in Group C.

And in Group B, it could be a bit of a surprise on the cards as a well-worked goal saw Soufiane Rahimi score from close range after a great move down the right, Morocco leading Argentina 1-0 there.