American and British athletes have also hinted at possible doping in the Russian Olympic Committee team after losing in the men’s swimming. Meanwhile, Japan expanded the COVID-19 state of emergency to three areas surrounding the Olympic host city as Tokyo reports over 3,000 new daily cases.
Key moments
Simone Biles discusses the twisties: “It’s the craziest feeling ever” U. S. women’s soccer advances to semifinals after dramatic shootout U. S. 4x400 mixed relay team overturns disqualification Maggie Steffens breaks all-time scoring record for women’s water polo
The team appealed and the decision was overturned. The team will compete in the finals Saturday.
This decision could give Allyson Felix a chance to win her record-setting 10th Olympic medal. While Felix was on the track for the qualifying race, she was part of the mixed 4x400 team that won the gold at the 2019 world championships.
When twisting, Biles said she “literally cannot tell up from down.”
“It’s the craziest feeling ever, not having an inch of control over your body,” she wrote. “What’s even scariest is since I have no idea where I am in the air, I also have no idea how I’m going to land or what I’m going to land on—head/hand/feet/back.”
Biles also responded to accusations that she selfishly quit the competition.
“I didn’t have a bad performance and quit,” she wrote. “I’ve had plenty of bad performances throughout my career and finished the competition. I simply got so lost my safety was at risk, as well as a team medal.”
She added that she doesn’t have to explain why she put her physical and mental health first.
“My mind and body are simply not in sync,” she wrote. “I don’t think you realize how dangerous this [routine] is on hard/competition surface.”
Biles is unsure when she will fully recover.
“You have to take literally day by day, turn by turn,” she added.
Read the full story about Biles’ battle with the twisties here.
Barega finished in 27 minutes, 43.22 seconds to upset world champion and world-record holder Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda.
Cheptegei took the silver medal and his Ugandan teammate Jacob Kiplimo finished with a bronze in third.
This marks the fourth straight Olympics that China has won gold and silver in the men’s singles.
Germany’s Dimitrij Ovtcharov earned a bronze medal with a win over Taiwan’s Lin Yun Ju. This is his fifth medal, tying the record for most Olympic medals won by a man in table tennis.
China also dominated on the women’s side. Chen Meng beat her Chinese teammate Sun Yingsha on Thursday to take gold in women’s singles.
Chinese women have won every gold in singles.
In regulation time, Samantha Mewis and Lynn Williams scored and goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher had a clutch pentaly kick save to keep the score 2-2.
After maintaining the tie through extra time, it all came down to a shootout.
The U.S. went 4-4 on penalty kicks with goals from Rose Levelle, Alex Morgan, Christen Press and Megan Rapinoe. Naeher made two huge saves to secure the win for Team USA.
The team, comprised of Elija Godwin, Lynna Irby, Taylor Manson and Bryce Deadmon, were favorited to win gold in Tokyo.
But despite finishing fastest in the first heat, the team was later disqualified from the event for handing the baton over outside the designated changeover zone.
“COVID is in play and we do have to be a lot more careful than the year before,” Godwin said. “But like I said before, we come out and we get as prepared as possible. Mistakes happen. We are human, we can make mistakes, and if at the end of the day we get DQ-ed [disqualified], I’ll hold my head up high, because I know we competed our best. I’m proud of all of our guys and girls.”
Team USA defeated the Russian Olympic Committee 18-5. With a record of 3-1, the U.S. has a bye to the quarterfinals on August 3.
Maggie Steffens scored four goals and became the all-time leading scorer in Olympic women’s water polo history. She has 49 career goals so far.
Tyler Austin helped the U.S. get ahead early with a two-run home run in the third inning, while Team USA opening ceremony flag bearer Eddy Alvarez had two RBI doubles to extend the lead later in the game.
The United States will take on South Korea on Saturday.
South Africa’s Tatjana Schoenmaker won gold and set a new world record for the event with a time of 2:18.95.
Lily King and Annie Lazor swam over to embrace an emotional Schoenmaker and her South African teammate Kaylene Corbett, who finished fifth.
“You did amazing, congratulations you did it,” Lazor said to Schoenmaker.
King and Lazor finished in second and third place, earning a silver and bronze medal, respectively.
The team will face one of two opponents - whoever wins the USA v Netherlands match the - USA are currently winning 2-1 up in the first half.
The first track and field medals are up for grabs later at the men’s 10,000m final, which begins at 7.30am ET.
Fiji v Australia will kick off at 5.30am ET
USA v GB will kick off at 6am ET
Medical staff rushed to treat him before taking him out of the competition on a stretcher. The 28-year-old qualified for the finals despite the crash, but was not able to race.
The city recorded 3,865 cases yesterday and 2,848 on Wednesday - both figures still well above the peak of the country’s pandemic in January.
The samples of collected spit - lots of it - are stored and identified by a barcode ready for preliminary tests. Those with dubious results go through another round of testing, with athletes and staff praying for the best.
He was backed up by silver medalist Ryan Murphy who, asked if he thought the competition was clean, said:
The interview was awkward, with both athletes stood each side of the Russian gold medalist Evgeny Rylov. “I have always been for clean competition,” he said, “from the bottom of my heart I am for clean sport. I’ve devoted my entire life to this sport. I don’t even know how to react to that.”
The team currently has the most medal overall, with 14 golds, 16 silvers and 11 bronzes so far.
Follow Newsweek’s liveblog throughout Friday for all the latest.
