A.M. ATL: 🏅 Georgia’s Olympic medal count
Morning, y’all! Monday again. Expect sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-90s today.
News wise, we’ve got the latest on college kids returning to campus and the Young Thug jury coming back to court, plus an interesting bit of political analysis and a look at the week ahead.
But first: Peach State pride in Paris.
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POWERFUL PERFORMANCES
The Paris Olympics sont finis.
The U.S. came out on top of the overall medal count, tying China for the most golds (thanks for that last one, women’s basketball team!). And the good ol’ state of Georgia fared pretty well, too.
The AJC’s crack sports team finds that a total of 16 Olympians with ties to the Peach State earned medals, in competitions ranging from skeet shooting to swimming and track.
- Dive into the full list here. But let’s take a quick spin through some of our favorite performances first, yes?
The track stars: Atlanta native Gabby Thomas (pictured above) won three gold medals — the only track and field athlete with that distinction in Paris. It’s certainly enough to top this list.
“I know how hard it is to win a medal in track and field,” Thomas said. “It’s a very cutthroat sport, especially at this level.”
- Fellow Atlantan Christopher Bailey kicked off the U.S. men’s sprint toward gold in the 4 x 400-meter relay, too.
Women’s soccer: Mallory Swanson’s goal in Saturday’s 1-0 gold-clinching win doesn’t really count — even if she is the wife of beloved former Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson.
But the U.S. women’s soccer roster also includes midfielder Croix Bethune, an Alpharetta native who played at UGA. Marietta native Emily Sonnett, too.
- They all helped the American squad win its first gold medal since 2012.
The streak breakers: Around these parts, you get extra credit for accomplishing something no one’s done in awhile. Enter these two fine young Americans:
- Hampton Morris of Marietta won bronze in weightlifting — the United States’ first medal in the sport in four decades.
- Rockmart’s Brody Malone and the rest of the men’s gymnastics team took bronze in the all-around. They hadn’t medaled since 2008.
Three cheers for the U.S. of A and the great state of Georgia. See you in L.A. in 2028.
Check out all of the AJC’s Olympics coverage right here. And a few more sports notes while we’re at it:
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THE WEEK AHEAD
🎓 Monday: Morris Brown and Georgia Gwinnett colleges are among the state’s first to begin their fall semesters. Take a look at what’s new on campuses across metro Atlanta.
📝 Tuesday: Commissioners in Cobb and DeKalb counties hold their regular meetings.
🎶 Wednesday: Usher performs his first in a string of three shows at State Farm Arena. The start of the Corky Kell-Dave Hunter Classic launches a new high school football season.
🐿️ Thursday: Georgia squirrel hunting season begins. Really!
🏀 Friday: The Atlanta Dream start post-Olympics action at home against the Storm (7:30 p.m. on ION). The Pigs and Peaches Festival kicks off in Kennesaw.
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THE JURY MAY BE SEATED
With the defense’s motions for a mistrial denied, the jury in rapper Young Thug’s Fulton County trial returns to court today after eight weeks off. They’ll find a new judge on the bench and be asked to disregard some previously heard testimony.
- “It’s un-freaking-believable,” one observer told the AJC. “I’ve never in my history of being involved in or observing trials seen anything like this.”
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MORE CRIME & COURTS
» Columnist Bill Torpy says Connie Taylor — the clerk at the center of Cobb County’s current courthouse chaos — ought to be worried about election season.
» Details remain scant. But police say one person died following a Sunday night shooting near MARTA’s Arts Center station.
» A weekend shooting at southwest Atlanta’s Rosa L. Burney Park left five people wounded, including three teenagers.
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POLITICAL CALCULUS
Democrats have long used “the 30-30 rule” as a blueprint in Georgia: at least 30% of white voters going blue + Black voters making up 30% of the electorate = victory.
New analysis from the AJC’s Phoebe Quinton suggests the rule isn’t as hard and fast as it used to be.
- Only vaguely related: The family of soul musician Isaac Hayes is demanding that Donald Trump stop using his music at campaign rallies. Hayes lived in Atlanta for years and his son, Isaac Hayes III, runs the Atlanta-based social media platform Fanbase.
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FESTIVAL SEASON
We’re rapidly approaching the fall festival season, and two of Atlanta’s marquee events recently shared significant news.
- Headliners for One Musicfest include Cardi B, Gunna and Earth, Wind & Fire.
- Author and social media pot-stirrer Joyce Carol Oates spoke about her keynote role at the upcoming Decatur Book Festival.
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
» State Rep. Seabaugh charged with DUI in collision with cyclist
» T.I. and Tiny sexual assault case dismissed by judge
» Savannah ducked another storm in Debby but risk still high
» Toastique in Midtown and more metro Atlanta restaurant news
» GBI: Man killed in shootout with cops at Athens gas station
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ON THIS DATE
Aug. 12, 1958
Puppy theft is always a bad idea. But stealing the Atlanta Humane Society’s real life mascot, Scruffy? Yikes.
The “five-month-old mongrel” had been used in ads and appeared on TV before someone “stopped a car, scooped [him up] and drove away.”
“We’re offering a liberal reward to get him back alive,” staffer Sue Miller told the Constitution.
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PHOTO OF THE DAY
AJC contributor Ryan Fleisher captured country music star Zach Bryan belting out a song during one of his sold-out weekend shows at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. More photos here!
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ONE MORE THING
New analysis suggests your little post-dinner walk provides all sorts of health benefits, even if it’s just a few minutes. So get to stepping!
“It can be just a stroll, and often times as you become accustomed to it, you will walk longer,” a local health care leader said.
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Thanks for reading to the very bottom of A.M. ATL. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact me at tyler.estep@ajc.com.
Until next time.
About the Author
Tyler Estep hosts the AJC Win Column, Atlanta's new weekly destination for all things sports. He also shepherds the Sports Daily and Braves Report newsletters to your inbox.
