Biles back with courageous bronze as records fall, IOC investigates Belarus
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TOKYO, Aug. 3 (Reuters) – Simone Biles returned to the gymnastics scene on Tuesday after a week of absence, electrifying the Tokyo Olympics on a day when world records were broken and organizers are investigating the treatment of Belarus to an athlete now under diplomatic protection.
The return of the American, considered by many to be the greatest gymnast of all time, ensured a blockbuster final for the sport at the Ariake Gymnastics Center as Biles won bronze. Read more
She abruptly dropped out of the team event seven days ago, citing mental health issues and increased global awareness of the pressures elite athletes face.
âI was proud of myself just going there after what I went through,â said Biles, who won four gold and one bronze in Rio five years ago. “I will cherish this one much more after everything I’ve been through.”
On the track, Norway‘s Karsten Warholm smashed his own world record in the men’s 400-meter hurdles by almost a second with a dazzling run of 45.94 seconds, edging out American Rai Benjamin, who also broke the record for the last month.
“Dude, this is so crazy. This is by far the greatest moment of my life,” said Warholm after carving out a name for himself among the greatest in track and field history and crouching down of apparent disbelief on the track. “Do you know the shot he hasn’t sunk into yet? I don’t think so, but I feel ecstatic.”
In women’s cycling, Germany beat Great Britain for the gold medal in the team pursuit in a thrilling final after each team traded world records in the playoff heats.
Out of competition, the International Olympic Committee said it was awaiting a report later today from the Belarusian team on the case of sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, who fled to the Polish embassy in Tokyo on Monday after having refused orders from her team to return home.
She was due to fly to Poland on Wednesday, which offered her a humanitarian visa. The IOC met twice on Monday with Tsimanouskaya, who was in a safe and secure location, spokesman Mark Adams said.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused the regime of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of intolerable “transnational repression” in this affair.
Tsimanouskaya told German newspaper Bild that his break with the team was not initially linked to politics. “I could never have imagined it would turn into such a big political scandal.”
MAKE HISTORY
The outdoor athletes once again battled the Tokyo summer weather along with their competitors, with high temperatures around 33 degrees Celsius (91 Fahrenheit) and rainforest humidity, all while running out of fans, banned from almost all events due to COVID-19,
The lack of spectators, however, does not depress audience figures, the IOC said, as early events such as surfing and skateboarding are attracting a global buzz.
The host city of Tokyo is undergoing its fourth state of coronavirus emergency with infections reaching record levels and hospitals under increasing pressure.
Although COVID-19 has been contained in the Olympic “bubble” through strict testing and monitoring, positive tests have forced Greece to withdraw from artistic swimming.
Biles, her hopes of winning six gold medals in Tokyo shattered, battled “twisties” – where gymnasts are disoriented during their gravity-defying streaks – which forced her to withdraw from events.
The 32-medal winner at the Olympic and World Championships said she needs to âdeal with these Olympicsâ before considering Paris 2024. âFor now, I’ll be focusing on myself a little more often rather than focusing on myself. put things under the rug. “
Japan’s Naomi Osaka, who had cited depression while taking a break from tennis in recent months, lost to world number 42 in the third round last week, one of many surprising results from this year’s Games.
Also making history, the first openly transgender Olympian, New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard, said she didn’t see herself as a trailblazer and just wanted to be seen like any other athlete on the road. biggest sport scene.
Hubbard made an unexpectedly premature exit on Monday, eliminated 10 minutes after the start of his +87kg contest, ending a controversial appearance.
Transgender rights advocates have applauded her for being allowed to compete, while some former athletes and activists believe her background gives her an unfair physiological advantage and undermines efforts for women’s equality in sport.
Meanwhile, some Australian athletes damaged their rooms in the Athletes’ Village before leaving as the team mascots disappeared.
The emu and the kangaroo returned later, said team leader Ian Chesterman.
Reporting by Steve Keating and Mitch Phillips; Additional reporting by Karolos Grohmann, Elaine Lies, Chang-Ran Kim, Mari Saito and Martin Petty; Writing by William Mallard; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Himani Sarkar
Our Standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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