TOKYO — First lady Jill Biden watched the U.S. women’s game against France in the 3-on-3 basketball tournament Saturday at the Tokyo Olympics. Upon her arrival at Aomi Urban Sports Park, Biden greeted French President Emmanuel Macron.
With no fans allowed in the basketball venue, there were plenty of empty seats surrounding Biden, Macron and their security details. Biden wore a Ralph Lauren blue blazer – the same style Team USA athletes wore at the opening ceremony – and a blue T-shirt with a U.S. flag despite the heat and humidity. She saw the U.S. women open 3×3 tournament play with a 17-10 victory against France.
“We walked over at the end and we just said, ‘Yo, thank you so much …’ Not ‘Yo.’ We wouldn’t … ‘Thank you so much for coming,’” U.S. player Kelsey Plum said about getting to meet the first lady after the game. “Hopefully she enjoyed it and she said she was just really proud of us. So I think that we won her over a little bit.”
Biden spent Saturday at various Olympic events to support Team USA. Earlier in the day, she hosted a U.S. vs. Mexico softball watch party with foreign service officers and their families at the U.S. embassy.
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Biden moved fast here Saturday. After her trip to the 3-on-3 game, she traveled to the Aquatics Center for the first night of swimming preliminaries in the pool. Team USA members in the stands chanted “Dr. Biden!” after she took her seat and one shouted “Thank you!”
Macron and Biden were among dignitaries to meet with Japanese Emperor Naruhito on Friday at the Imperial Palace before the Olympic activities began.
In her first solo overseas trip as first lady, Biden spent her Friday speaking to members of Team USA virtually before viewing the opening ceremony at the Olympic Stadium as the head of the U.S. delegation. Biden was scheduled to depart Tokyo on Saturday night.
Contributing: Maria Puente
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