By Adam Roberts – 8/2/2021
After pulling out of every team event and three of the individual event finals, Simone Biles is set to return to competition this week. The oft-described GOAT of US gymnastics had been focusing on her mental health while also managing what those in the gymnastics world call “the twisties”; this phenomenon makes it hard for them to judge where they are while flipping through the air. Here’s a check on the rest of what’s new from Tokyo:
- Four U.S. relievers combined to give up five runs as the United States blew a three-run lead in a 7-6 baseball loss to Japan on Monday night that pushed the Americans within a loss of Olympic elimination. The U.S. at 2-1 fell into the losers bracket of the double-elimination second round. To reach this weekend’s final, it will need to win Wednesday when it plays the winner of tomorrow’s elimination game between the Dominican Republic (1-2) and Israel (1-3), and then again Thursday against the Japan-South Korea loser.
- The duo of April Ross and Alix Klineman topped Cuba’s Lidianny Echevarria Benitez and Leila Consuelo Martinez Ortega in the round of 16 of the women’s beach volleyball tournament. Ross and Klineman won the match in straight sets with a total score of 42-32. The pairing will look to keep their undefeated record going later tonight when they take on Germany’s Laura Ludwig and Margareta Kozuch in the quarterfinals.
- Valarie Allman won the gold medal in the women’s discus in her Olympic debut at the 2020 Summer Games after making a throw of 68.98 meters on her first attempt. It’s the first gold medal for the U.S. in track and field at this year’s Olympics. Kristin Pudenz of Germany finished in second place to win the silver medal with a personal best throw of 66.86 meters. Cuba’s Yaime Perez took home the bronze medal after making a throw of 65.72 meters.
- And finally, Jessica Springsteen is getting ready for her Olympic equestrian debut. The daughter of Bruce Springsteen will take part in the individual jumping round at the Tokyo Olympics. She and her horse will take on a course of 12-to-14 obstacles that are four-feet-seven-inches to five-feet-four-inches tall. Springsteen was named to the U.S. jumping team after strong results during competition recently in Florida.
Keep checking espnlacrosse.com for daily updates from the 2020-21 Olympics!