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Showing posts from July, 2021

New on Sports Illustrated: Report: 14 Olympics Participants Lose Credentials for COVID-19 Rules Violations

Tokyo Games CEO Toshiro Muto said six people had their accreditation removed, while another eight were temporarily suspended. View the original article to see embedded media. The credentials of 14 participants in the Tokyo Games have reportedly been revoked due to COVID-19 rules violations, according to Rachel Axon of USA Today . Games CEO Toshiro Muto said Sunday that of the 14 people, six had their credentials removed, while another eight had theirs suspended temporarily. An additional 10 cases of "strict warning incidents” have been reported, as well as four signed pledges on top of those warnings. The actions come as a result of individuals not obeying the rules outlined in the Games's COVID-19 playbooks, which all participants are required to adhere to. “These incidents will affect the reputation of the majority of Games’ stakeholders who are adhering to the rules,” Muto said. “In order for the Games to be successful, we need all the stakeholders and participants t

New on Sports Illustrated: Simone Biles Withdraws From Women's Floor Competition Final at Tokyo Olympics

This is the fifth event that Simone Biles has withdrawn from during the Tokyo Olympics. Simone Biles has withdrawn from the women's final for the floor competition, U.S. Gymnastics announced Saturday night.  This is the fifth event that Biles has withdrawn from during the Tokyo Olympics as she continues to deal with personal issues.  Biles first withdrew from the team gymnastics final and the individual all-around event  after she said she had " no idea where (she) was in the air ."  The issue is commonly referred to as the "twisties" in gymnastics and has limited her ability to compete with confidence. She later withdrew from both the vault and uneven bars finals. After her latest withdrawal, the only event that's left for Biles in the Tokyo Olympics is the balance beam.  When Biles first withdrew from the team gymnastics final she was asked what her goal was for these Olympics and responded candidly.  "To focus on my well-being," she

New on Sports Illustrated: Seby Zavala Hits First Three Career Homers in Same Game

Seby Zavala is the first person in MLB history to hit his first three career home runs in the same game. View the original article to see embedded media. White Sox catcher Seby Zavala had one of the best coming out parties in MLB history on Saturday when he hit his first three career home runs in the same game. He's the first player to ever accomplish this feat in either the American League or National League. His first homer was on a 91 mile-per-hour fastball from Cleveland's Triston McKenzie in the bottom of the third. His second was yet another 91-mile-per-hour fastball from McKenzie but this time it was a grand slam to give Chicago a 6–1 edge in the fourth frame.  Zavala capped off his home run free-for-all with a 369-footer to right field off a cutter from Bryan Shaw.  Zavala made his profession debut in 2015 and has bounced around the minor league ever since. He made his majors debut back in 2019 but didn't stay long before returning to the minors and

New on Sports Illustrated: Caeleb Dressel Wins Gold, Sets Olympic Record in 50m Freestyle Final

Dressel claimed his fourth gold medal of the 2020 Games with an Olympic-record time of 21.07. View the original article to see embedded media. Another day, another Caeleb Dressel gold medal—and Olympic record. One day after winning gold and setting a world record in the men's 100m final , Dressel again topped the podium by winning the 50m final on Sunday. His winning time of 21.07 broke the all-time Olympic record.  He's now 3-for-3 in winning gold in his individual events, as he also won gold in the 100m butterfly. Florent Manaudou of France took silver with a time of 21.55, while Brazil's Bruno Fratus came in third at 21.57. Dressel has won four gold medals in Tokyo, with a first-place finish as a member of the 4x100m freestyle team. He still has one more team event to go, giving him a chance to claim a fifth gold in the 4x100m men's medley relay. Sign up for our free daily Olympics newsletter: Very Olympic Today. You'll catch up on the top stories,

New on Sports Illustrated: U.S. and Mexico Managers Exchange Jabs Ahead of Men's Gold Cup Final

U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter called out players on Mexico for their physical play and wants officials to call the match "fair." View the original article to see embedded media. The Gold Cup Final between the U.S. and Mexico men's teams is expected to be a physical face-off but both team's managers started trading jabs early.  U.S manager Gregg Berhalter called out players on Mexico for their physical play and asked that the Gold Cup Finals be called "fair" by referees, per ESPN . Berhalter referenced several instances when players on Mexico grabbed opponents by the neck when speaking to reporters ahead of the Gold Cup.  He mentioned when Mexico midfielder Hector Herrera grabbed U.S. midfielder Weston McKennie by the throat in the CONCACAF Nations League final on June 6. And in Thursday's semifinal when Mexico faced Canada, Mexico's Luis Rodriguez was seen grabbing the neck of Mark-Anthony Kaye.  "We want it to be a physical game. We want

New on Sports Illustrated: Padres Place Fernando Tatis Jr., Chris Paddack on IL

Tatis is back on the injured list after re-injuring his left shoulder on an awkward slide at third base. View the original article to see embedded media. A day after their star shortstop went down in a heap after an awkward slide at third base, the Padres announced Saturday they have placed Fernando Tatis Jr. on the injured list with left shoulder inflammation. Starting pitcher Chris Paddack was also placed on the IL with a strained left oblique. Tatis injured the shoulder trying to advance to third base after an error by Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon. Tatis was on first base when the play started and attempted to take an extra base when the ball got away from McMahon. His left arm appeared to get caught on the ground as he slid. This is the second time this season Tatis has gone on the IL with a left shoulder injury. His previous stint in May lasted just 10 days, and the team is hoping for a similarly quick recovery this time around. In 87 games this season, Tatis i

New on Sports Illustrated: NBA Rumors: Lakers Reportedly 'Very Interested' in Signing Carmelo

The Mavericks made a trade with the Celtics and the Lakers are looking to land another big name as the NBA gears up for free agency. View the original article to see embedded media. The Lakers put the NBA on notice Thursday when they traded a haul for star point guard Russell Westbrook and now are reportedly looking to add another veteran. The Lakers are "very interested" in signing Carmelo Anthony , per ESPN's Jordan Schultz . Anthony, 37, is set to be an unrestricted free agent this month after spending the last two seasons with the Trail Blazers.  He shot a career high 40.9% from behind the arc last season—his 18th in the NBA—and averaged 13.4 points per game. His longtime relationship with LeBron James is a deal-sweetener as well. The two have never played on the same team, aside from the All-Star Game and Olympics.  Some more rumors from around the NBA, which is set to begin free agency Monday at 6 p.m.  Serge Ibaka will exercise his $9.7 million player opt

New on Sports Illustrated: Elaine Thompson-Herah Blazes Into Olympic History

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Despite a headwind, a pandemic and an empty Olympic Stadium, the 29-year-old Jamaican triumphed in the 100 meters, winning gold and taking down Florence Griffith Joyner's 33-year-old record in the process. View the original article to see embedded media. Sign up for our free daily Olympics newsletter: Very Olympic Today. You'll catch up on the top stories, smaller events, things you may have missed while you were sleeping and links to the best writing from SI’s reporters on the ground in Tokyo. TOKYO — As the fastest woman in Olympic history crossed the finish line, she pointed at the scoreboard, her mouth opened like a drawbridge and she spread both arms a mile, er, kilometer, wide. At that moment, on the track in an empty stadium but in front of an international audience witnessing 10.61 seconds without precedent, the celebration had begun. Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica looked like all she wanted in the world was to find someone to hug. This marked bad timing, which

New on Sports Illustrated: Katie Ledecky Isn't Done Yet

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The 24-year-old Katie Ledecky is leaving the Tokyo Olympics with two gold and two silver medals. But her historic swimming career is far from over. View the original article to see embedded media. Sign up for our free daily Olympics newsletter: Very Olympic Today. You'll catch up on the top stories, smaller events, things you may have missed while you were sleeping and links to the best writing from SI’s reporters on the ground in Tokyo. TOKYO — And now, Katie Ledecky rests. So deep into the grind for so long, the greatest and most tireless freestyler of all-time has emerged from that tunnel of commitment at last. Her work here at these Summer Olympics is done: two gold medals, two silver, one fifth-place finish, no regrets. This has been the hardest of her three Olympics, both in terms of competition and workload. Ariarne Titmus of Australia completed her ascendancy to worthy rival of Ledecky, with the two splitting four matchups—Titmus winning the 200- and 400-meter frees

New on Sports Illustrated: Mixed Events Are Perfect for the Olympics and More Sports Need to Get in on the Trend

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Mixed-gender events would not work in every sport, but it's a trend that should be embraced—especially for sports in desperate need of some fun. View the original article to see embedded media. TOKYO — The International Olympic Committee, in its endless quest to bring harmony and understanding to anyone who will pay for it, has decided it is O.K. for boys and girls to play together. Mixed-gender relays featuring men and women are the big trend here, with the admirable goal of identifying who is sexist enough to whine about them. Thankfully, I am secure enough to say that I am absolutely, definitely, most certainly not one of those people. Like, at all. I love the mixed events! They’re fun, they showcase different kinds of athletes, and the Olympics are the perfect venue for trying new things, because they’re a big, complicated mess and nobody can make sense of them anyway. You might remember that many years ago, the IOC announced plans to make ballroom dancing an Olympic even

New on Sports Illustrated: Lions Hold Watch Party as Melissa Gonzalez Qualified for Olympic Semifinals

As Colombia's Gonzalez, wife of Lions QB David Blough, qualified for the women's 400m hurdles semifinals, Detroit hosted a watch party. View the original article to see embedded media. Melissa Gonzalez may be competing for Colombia, but the Olympian had one of the biggest American crowds supporting her as she qualified for the women's 400m hurdles semifinal on Saturday.  Her husband, David Blough, is the backup quarterback for the Lions, and the franchise held a watch party in Detroit, where the squad started training camp just a few days ago.  “That was pretty cool, man,” Lions’ head coach Dan Campbell said . “It was a moment." Gonzalez bested her own Colombian national record (55.68) when she finished second with a time of 55.32 in Tokyo. Prior to the event, the Lions put together a good luck video for her. Different players walked in the frame to send her encouragement while some, like Jared Goff, cracked a few jokes.  Blough closed out the video, walking up

New on Sports Illustrated: Elaine Thompson-Herah Breaks Olympic Record, Leads Jamaican Sweep in Women's 100m Final

Jamaica's Elaine Thompson-Herah broke the Olympic record of 10.62 set by Florence Griffith Joyner at the 1988 Olympics. View the original article to see embedded media. Sign up for our free daily Olympics newsletter: Very Olympic Today. You'll catch up on the top stories, smaller events, things you may have missed while you were sleeping and links to the best writing from SI’s reporters on the ground in Tokyo. Elaine Thompson-Herah broke Florence Griffith Joyner's Olympic record in 10.61 seconds and into a 0.6 m/s headwind to lead a Jamaican sweep of the medals in the women's 100 meters.  Griffith Joyner's Olympic record of 10.62 was set into a headwind at the 1988 Olympics. Thompson-Herah successfully defended her Olympic title from 2016 to become just the fourth woman to win two Olympic medals. "I knew I had it in me but obviously I've had my ups and downs with injuries," Thompson-Herah said after the race. "I've been keeping the fai

New on Sports Illustrated: Kevin Durant Passes Carmelo Anthony for Team USA's All-Time Olympic Scoring Record

The Nets star only needed 19 games to accomplish what Carmelo Anthony did in 31. KD now is Team USA's all-time Olympic scoring leader at 339 points and counting View the original article to see embedded media. U.S. men's basketball has a new all-time Olympic scoring leader at 339 points and counting.   Kevin Durant passed Carmelo Anthony, who previously sat atop the list with 336 points, on Saturday as Team USA faced off against the Czech Republic. Coming into Saturday's game with 331 points, Durant needed only six points to make history. And he did so in the second quarter, lofting up a three-point jumper to push Team USA ahead.  Durant has played in a total of 19 Olympic games that span from the 2012 London Games, 2016 Rio Games and 2020 Tokyo Games. He has scored in double digits in all of them, scoring over 20 points six times and was the team's leading scorer in 2012 and 2016.  While he previously sat behind Anthony as the all-time Olympic scoring leader

New on Sports Illustrated: Cole Hocker’s Ascent to the Top of U.S. Middle-Distance Running

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At the Tokyo Olympics, the 20-year-old University of Oregon runner will be the youngest American man competing in the 1,500 meters in 53 years. View the original article to see embedded media. After a four hour delay due to extreme temperatures from a rare Pacific Northwest heat wave, the fans at Hayward Field were rewarded for their patience with a truly thrilling finish to the men’s 1,500 meter final on June 28th. University of Oregon sophomore Cole Hocker maneuvered his way through traffic in the final 200 meters of the race to out-kick reigning Olympic champion and fellow Ducks great Matthew Centrowitz for the victory and his first Olympic team berth. Although the newly-renovated stadium was nowhere near full capacity due to COVID precautions, Hocker still raised his finger to his lips and hushed the roaring fans. It was a motion toward the doubters who questioned whether a 20-year-old college athlete would be able to hold his own against professionals. It was aimed at those w

New on Sports Illustrated: Wave of Mixed Team Sports Shows Growing Olympics Trend

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While not a new idea, mixed-gender competitions are a big initiative at the Games. Very Olympic Today is SI’s daily Olympics newsletter. You can receive each issue for free in your inbox by subscribing here . To continue reading the newsletter at SI.com every day, along with the rest of our Olympics coverage, readers can subscribe to SI.com here . It was a historic day at the Tokyo Olympics (aren’t they all?) but not just because of performances like Caeleb Dressel’s world record in the 100-meter butterfly. Five events made their Olympic debuts. Try to see if you can spot the pattern: The 4 x 400-meter mixed team relay (track), 4 x 100-meter medley (swim), mixed team triathlon, mixed team judo and mixed team trap shooting. That’s five different events in which men and women competed together on the same teams for the same medals. This is not a new idea in the Olympic program (they played mixed doubles tennis at the 1900 Games in Paris, though the event disappeared from 1928 t

New on Sports Illustrated: Team USA Plagued by Trust Issues in Swimming Relays

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The U.S. could use a relay revival to end on at the Olympics after a disappointing fifth-place finish in the inaugural mixed medley. View the original article to see embedded media. Sign up for our free daily Olympics newsletter: Very Olympic Today. You'll catch up on the top stories, smaller events, things you may have missed while you were sleeping and links to the best writing from SI’s reporters on the ground in Tokyo. TOKYO — The reason the United States finished a sobering fifth in the first Olympic mixed medley swimming relay was not the performance of any of the four swimmers. But the sight of 17-year-old Lydia Jacoby persevering through the breaststroke leg with her goggles in her mouth , having rolled down her face after diving in, served as an apt metaphor. It was a snapshot of a relay gone wrong. Scheduling issues, stamina issues, experience issues—and perhaps biggest of all, trust issues—likely played parts in the worst U.S. relay finish in Olympic history. Co

New on Sports Illustrated: Caeleb Dressel's Olympic Schedule Is Not for the Faint of Heart

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After a three-race performance on Saturday that included another gold medal, the U.S. swimmer has two more medals on the line Sunday. TOKYO — Caeleb Dressel has been known to flex his unparalleled athleticism around the pool, but he’s notably scaled back some of his trademark rituals this week. No vertical leaps behind the starting blocks. No vaulting himself out of the water and onto the deck, landing on his feet. If the world’s fastest swimmer and his full sleeve of tattoos can be understated, Dressel has done it. “Trying to conserve as much energy as I can,” the American sprint sensation explained Friday. “I haven’t even jumped out of the pool yet; I’ve been taking the ladder. Every time I can get a little edge, I’ll take it.” Dressel was conserving energy for days like Saturday, when the physical investment was going to be at its highest. Across an ambitious 110 minutes that ranged from the brilliant to the bizarre, he swam three races. The results: a world record and gold med