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Gold medals galore. Record-breaking performances. History-writing races. Legends across multiple sports performing at the peak of their powers. One breathtaking finish after another.

This was the peak Olympics experience.

It was also one of the most rewarding days of the year from a sports fan's perspective. It was the only day of the Games where swimming, track and field and gymnastics all had crossover competition with many of the most famous athletes vying for medals. There was a three-hour window on Saturday wherein one incredible gold medal event followed another, as if fed out on a conveyor belt. It was sports nirvana. The gush brought to mind the frenzy of a first-round NCAA Tournament day, only instead of being inundated with one sport, we got a variety of action with amazing athletes, all fighting to win for themselves and their countries.

I've got a hunch that, when we look back decades from now, Aug. 3, 2024, may well be remembered as an all-timer due to not just the nature of how some of the biggest events ended, but who they featured -- most of them women. 

Katie Ledecky. Simone Biles. Summer McIntosh. Sha'Carri Richardson. And a brand new legend: Julien Alfred. 

Let's start with Alfred. An unknown to most at the start of the day, Alfred's profile went global just as fast as she won the 100-meter final: 10.72 seconds. The new Fastest Woman in the World spoiled Richardson's quest for gold, speeding her way to the top of the podium with a rush in the Parisian rain. Truth is, Alfred was never challenged. To call her a legend in her home country would now, somehow, be underselling the current state of affairs. Alfred, who ran for the University of Texas, is from Saint Lucia. Until Saturday, the 238-square-mile Caribbean island with a population estimated at fewer than 181,000 people (approximately the size of Clarksville, Tennessee), had never won even a single Olympic medal. 

Now Saint Lucia claims the fastest female on Earth. Here's how the news went over in Alfred's homeland.

The race was so big, even Adele paused the middle of her concert in Germany to show it on the big screen. Many in the U.S. thought Richardson -- the reigning world champion in the 100 -- would win gold in her first Olympics, but Alfred was cruising in a different gear. Richardson eked out silver and her teammate, Melissa Jefferson, won the bronze. Despite not hitting the top of the podium, it was a historic afternoon for the United States women. The last time Team USA had two medals in the women's 100 was the Atlanta Games of 1996. (Gail Devers won gold, Gwen Torrence the bronze.) Richardson still has a shot at glory; she'll run in the 200-meter dash in a few days.

If the women's 100 meters was the most anticipated event of the day, then Ledecky's final race of these Olympics was a close second. Ledecky made good on her reputation and peerless stature once more, winning the 800-meter freestyle for the fourth consecutive Games. She's the only woman in the history of the Olympics to ever win one event -- no matter the sport -- in four Games. Ledecky (8:11.04) held off rival/friend Ariarne Titmus of Australia (8:12.29), who also managed to narrowly out-paddle Paige Madden of the United States. It's rare for a race that takes eight-plus minutes to finish to be so gripping for most of it, but that's what we got.

Ledecky is now the owner of 14 medals, nine of them gold, and rightfully is considered the greatest female swimmer ever. Just as Biles' all-around gold on Thursday forever cemented her status among the greatest athletes in American history, Ledecky's superb showing in Paris has done the same for her legacy. Getting gold on Saturday felt important to verifying those credentials. She's won the same race at 27 that she did at 15 -- against the best in the world. Insane gamut. Ledecky has more golds than any woman in history and is one of just seven Olympians ever with at least nine. She plans on swimming in home waters come 2028.

Ledecky's race was one of three huge swimming results on this spectacular Saturday; another woman in the water continued her emergence as one of the breakout stars of these Olympics. If there's an athlete who may one day challenge Ledecky's GOAT status in the pool, it's 17-year-old Canadian Summer McIntosh, who earned her third individual gold of these Games in come-from-behind fashion. The phenom edged out American Kate Douglass to take the 200-meter IM in arguably the most loaded individual event in swimming at the Olympics.

But if the women's 200m IM was the most loaded swimming event, the 4x100-meter mixed medley was the most enthralling. 

Because it might be the best single event of the entire Olympics. 

The conceit is great: every country picks two women and two men to burst their bodies 100 meters at a time in the four disciplines: backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, then freestyle for the finale. An intoxicating race. And despite some disappointments in the past week for the United States in swimming, Team USA won this one in nail-biting fashion. The quartet of Ryan Murphy, Nick Fink, Gretchen Walsh and Torri Huske swam a gold medal-winning 3:37.43 -- world-record time, no less -- beating China by .12 seconds. 

Huske swam the leg of her life; she's been right there with Ledecky in these Olympics in terms of clutch swims. In winning the 4x100 mixed medley, Team USA earned its sixth gold in the pool and 25th medal overall. 

If it's taken me this long to get to Simone Biles being Simone Biles, then that should tell you just how phenomenal Saturday was. Because before the big swims and prior to the huge track races, this mega day began with Biles, who was back, high in the air inside Bercy Arena.

Back to doing things no one else in the world can do. Biles things. 

The greatest gymnast the world has ever known added another gold to her stockpile. She pulled off her signature Yurchenko double pike in the first half of the vault final, ultimately averaging 15.300, easily clearing her for gold over the second-best gymnast in the world, Brazil's Rebeca Andrade. 

Biles now owns 10 medals (seven of them gold), which ties her for third-most by a female gymnast in Olympic history. Biles still isn't done; she'll go for two more on Monday when she competes in balance beam and floor exercise. In that vault final, another American athlete had a big moment: Jade Carey earned bronze after missing out in Tokyo due to an untimely trip that led to a last-place finish. 

And if you think Biles is viewing Paris as her finale, here's what she said when asked if she'd compete come LA in 2028 -- at the age of 31.

"Never say never," Biles told the media. "Next Olympics are at home. So you just never know. I am getting really old."

As if that wasn't enough, one of the unexpected viral sensations of these Olympics -- Stephen Nedoroscik, AKA "Pommel Horse Guy" -- delivered again on Saturday. Nedoroscik, who has become the most beloved nerd in American sports over the past week, got up on his horse and managed to win a second bronze medal this week. Part of Nedoroscik's charm is how he competes ONLY in pommel horse. His routine earlier in the week is what clinched the United States a medal for the first time in the team all-around in 16 years. 

Saturday he got one for himself, competing as a solo act, firming up his star status at these Games. The U.S. gymnastics team has shown up huge at these Games.

One inspirational competition after another after another. 

To wit: Did you see Femke Bol of the Netherlands in the mixed medley 4x400 relay in track? The U.S. downright dusted the competition during Friday's qualifiers, and the thought was that Team USA would probably take gold. For about 75% of the final leg, it was headed to that conclusion. Nineteen-year-old Kaylyn Brown looked like she might be able to sprint the U.S. to gold. Bol was in fourth at the start of the final turn. 

And then Bol -- who is a freak in the 400 -- found a gear that stunned most everyone in Stade de France. 

The Netherlands wins gold. The United States gets silver. How many times have you watched that finish? Because I'm nearly at double digits by this point. Incredible racing.

But even if America couldn't get it done on track for gold on Saturday, it sure did again on the field, in shot put. 

The most incredible result that won't get as much publicity as it probably should came from a pair of Herculean hurlers who have lorded over shot put for the better part of a decade. Americans Ryan Crouser (gold) and Joe Kovacs (silver) both finished 1-2 for the third straight Olympics. That had never happened before. Kovacs' final shot was just long enough to secure him the silver. The lesser-heralded sports don't get nearly the amount of attention or publicity of track, swimming, basketball, gymnastics, etc., but Crouser and Kovacs are legendary in their own right. 

And if all of this wasn't enough, yet another American athlete made good in a clutch moment. Out on the pitch, Trinity Rodman saved Team USA from disaster in women's soccer. In a nil-nil quarterfinal game vs. Japan that had drifted deep into extra time, Rodman hammered home a goal to push the U.S. into Tuesday's semifinals against Germany.

An unforgettable cacophony of competition.

The United States won 18 medals on Saturday, five of them gold. When you take into account that we got to see Biles and Ledecky win on the same day, for maybe the last time, it only adds to the historic element of what the world witnessed in Paris. This was a rare spectacle. 

Not only was Saturday the most thrilling day yet of these Paris Games, it was one of the best days of sports we'll get all year. And because we only get the Summer Games every four years, it made the experience that much more special.