The Games: America’s first gold medal of the Rio games was won by 19-year-old West Virginia University sophomore, Ginny Thrasher — in the air rifle shooting event.

Eight finalists wee given eight shots each until one was eliminated. Then it was two shots each until the winner was determined.

Yes, air rifle is an Olympic sport.

>With Katie Ledecky added to the foursome, the US women won silver in the 4×100 meter freestyle swimming relay. Australia, powered by sisters Bronte and Cate Campbell, won gold setting a world record of 3:30.65.

>US women’s soccer beat France 1-0. Carli Lloyd scored in the 63d minute.

> French gymnast Samir Ait Said badly broke his left leg performing in the vault qualifiers. His leg just snapped below the knee and ended up at an ugly angle. He was taken off in a stretcher.

#NBC: Olympic ceremony viewers were mightily annoyed by NBC’s coverage of the opening ceremonies, including the one-hour tape delay. Between frequent commercials, hosts Matt Lauer and Meredith Viera droned on with scripted commentary like it was the Rose Bowl Parade. One posted meme had gaffer’s tape over their mouths and another wag dubbed NBC, “Nothing But Commercials.”

Fracking the Vote: Republican candidates across the country are preparing campaign messages to separate themselves from Donald Trump, essentially saying, “Vote for me, not for him.” The NY Times reports that Republicans are worried that Trump could be such a disaster that he costs them the majority in the Senate, and maybe even the House. If he turns off the diehard Republicans, they might stay home, rather than vote.

Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey, who’s on the ropes, told reporters that voters “will make their decision about the presidential race, and then they will make a completely separate decision about the person they want representing them in the United States Senate.”

World: Thirteen people were killed in Rouen, France, when a dropped birthday cake started a fire in a busy bar. Someone carrying the cake with lighted candles tripped on the basement stairs, dropping the cake and starting the fire that spread to ceiling tiles, emitting toxic smoke. Many of the victims were trapped in the basement, unable to get out — A man shouting “Allahu Akhbar” and wielding a machete wounded two female police officers outside a station house in the Belgian city of Charleroi. The attacker was killed by police gunfire — Iran says it has executed a nuclear scientist who gave secret information to the US.

The Obit Page: The great New Orleans jazz clarinetist Pete Fountain died yesterday in a hospice at age 86.

Fountain’s sound was a combination of Benny Goodman Swing and traditional New Orleans. He made a personal anthem out of the gospel song “A Closer Walk With Thee.” He rose to national prominence in the 1950s and kept his own club in New Orleans, where he often played. He was even featured on the Lawrence Welk variety show.

Vitametavegamin: The upstate New York town of Celoron has replaced the statue of hometown girl Lucille Ball that became known as “Scary Lucy” with something that looks a lot more like the beautiful redheaded comedienne. The original statue looked like a devil woman chasing you with a spoon and a bottle of vitamin supplement. The original artist offered to re-do his work, but was chased away with a bottle of vitamin supplement.

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