Olympics results 2016: Canada sweeps USA in men’s volleyball upset

The U.S. men’s volleyball team got off to a brutal start in Rio with a lopsided loss to Canada on Sunday. The Americans failed to win a set in the 3-0 defeat, which came against a Canadian team that’s lower than them in the world rankings. Not how Reid Priddy and company were hoping to start their Olympics.

Canada battled down the stretch in the first set to take it, 25-23, then kept up the energy in a 25-17 second set as the U.S. struggled respond. In the third set, with the crowd loudly reacting to each point, the Canadians were able to put away the match with a 25-23 victory.

This is a major disappointment for Team USA. The team is hoping to win gold in Rio, but didn’t look the part in its first preliminary match by getting upset. Canada is ranked No. 12 in the FIVB rankings, while the U.S. is No. 5. This was a game the Americans were supposed to win, and instead they got crushed in a lopsided loss.

Next up for Priddy and the U.S. will be a match against Italy on Tuesday. They’ll be hoping to find a groove that eluded them in the Olympic opener.

U.S. demolishes Senegal by 65 points in women’s hoops
The U.S. women’s basketball team came out firing at the 2016 Olympics with a record-breaking 121-56 victory over Senegal. The Americans were unstoppable from start to finish, and look ready to make a strong run toward the gold in Rio.

Nothing was close about this game. The U.S. jumped out to a 64-21 lead at halftime and never let Senegal get going in any way. The 65-point margin of victory is a new Olympic record. While the team will see tougher tests going forward, including in its next game against Spain, the Americans have set the tone with a smack down.

Breanna Stewart, Diana Taurasi and Sylvia Fowles each scored 15 points in the win. Brittney Griner dominated in the middle with 14 points, seven rebounds and two blocks. Elena Delle Donne recorded 11 points and six assists, while Sue Bird had eight assists. As a team, they shot 65 percent.

Talk about a good start in Rio.

It was a strong day in the Olympic pool for the American women. Katie Ledecky, the next big thing in swimming, finished first in her heat for the 400-meter freestyle and earned a spot to the semifinals. She’ll be joined by teammate Leah Smith, who finished second in her heat to get a spot as well.

In the 100-meter backstroke, American swimmers Kathleen Baker and Olivia Smoliga have advanced from the heats to the semifinals. Baker finished first overall in the heats with a time of 58.84 seconds, while Smoliga finished first in her heat and sixth overall with a time of 59.60 seconds.

And to cap off the strong day -- which also included the men finishing first in their heat in the 4x100 freestyle relay -- Lilly King finished first overall in the heats for the women’s 100-meter breaststroke. She’ll swim in the semifinals on Sunday night along with fellow American Katie Meili, who finished third overall in the heats to book a spot in the semis.

Majlinda Kelmendi won the gold medal in women’s judo 52kg weight class on Sunday, becoming the first athlete representing Kosovo to win an Olympic medal. The country is competing in the Olympics independently for the first time in Rio, and didn’t have to wait long before beginning its medal count.

In 2014, the Olympic International Committee approved Kosovo for participation in Rio as an independent country. The decision was opposed by Serbia, which Kosovo had announced its independence from in 2008. In the past, athletes from Kosovo had competed in the Olympics, but not under their own flag.

Kelmendi defeated Italian judoka Odette Giuffrida in the final to take the gold medal. She guaranteed herself at least the silver medal by beating Misato Nakamura of Japan in the semifinals, but continued on to give Kosovo not only its first medal, but its first gold, too.